A River of Violence
by White Silence
Summary: When one hears the words Two men walk into a bar... it's usually the beginning of a bad joke but for Jayne, its the sound of his past finally catching up with him. RAYNE Warnings for violence, duh.
1. Prologue: Mighty Fine Shootin'

** WARNING:** Take heed of the story title. It isn't called "A River of Violence" for nothing.

**PROLOGUE: MIGHTY FINE SHOOTIN'**

Billings was a quiet town on a quiet rock. It wasn't a city but it was the only town around with some semblance of a spaceport. There were only three official berths but occasionally they would fill up and a boat or two would land in the empty field behind them. The two men who emerged from the beat up old ore hauler one sunny afternoon in late summer were the rough and tumble type that was typical of those who docked in Billings so when they ambled off with their arms slung over each other's shoulders, no one paid them much attention. They moved easily through the streets, searching for a place that offered a bite to eat and their favorite way to relax. There were several such establishments in Billings that could have fulfilled their requirements but they bypassed them all in favor of a little hole in the wall on the other side of town.

The man behind the counter looked up when the door opened, pausing in his task of slicing limes. A few locals were chatting at the bar and a couple more were seated at the tables. The barmaid was serving them cold beer and sandwiches. The two men strode up to the bar and waited for her to return.

The barmaid, Ella, could tell they weren't locals. Their clothes weren't worn with hard dirtside living and the skin on their faces was as pale as the moon. One had a hint of sunburn across his nose. The man on the right was older, going by the few strands of grey hair at his temples and the lines of his face. The other one was quite a looker, hair the color of corn silk and eyes as blue as the summer sky. Sensing the chance for a large tip, she put on her most charming smile. "So what'll it be, gents? We got the meanest _cha xiu bao_ this side of the Rim."

The blue-eyed man gave her a slow, toothy smile. "Well honey, I think I'll have a coupla yer buns then."

The older one ordered the same, minus the innuendo. While they were waiting, Ella served them their drinks. The bartender's wife peeked out into the seating area when she set their finished orders on the window ledge between the main room and the kitchen. Blue eyes flashed his grin at her too but she glanced at her husband, whispering _yang gui zi_, before slipping back into the kitchen. The man's grin faded.

The two men ate quickly and efficiently, leaving barely a crumb on their plates. Ella saw the older one draining his glass and walked over to ask if he wanted a refill. Instead of answering, the two men pulled out matching revolvers and aimed them at the shocked barmaid.

"Do as we say and ain't no one gonna get hurt." The older one said, loudly. Ella nodded nervously. She looked over at the bartender whose chin dipped almost imperceptibly. The blue-eyed man flung a bag over the bar. It slid across the smooth wooden surface and hit the barmaid in the belly. "Good girl, now go over to the register there and get me all that cashy money."

She scrambled to comply with shaky hands.

Suddenly, the older one stumbled backwards with a kitchen knife embedded in his right shoulder, his pistol in the bartender's meaty hand.

"Ya know, if it was money ya wanted," said the bartender "You coulda just asked."

The younger man's finger tightened on the trigger but before he could get a shot off, he fell backward with the contents of his brain pan splattered all over the floor. The older one pulled the knife out of his shoulder with a snarl and moved to jump over the bar but took three bullets to the chest instead.

The patrons and barmaid were frozen, staring at the bartender in shock. They had never seen a person move so fast or shoot so accurately and of the people in town, no one had truly expected it of Jayne Cobb.

River's Bend wasn't too much to look at and it didn't try to be anything it wasn't. The place was clean and the drinks were strong. Just like the owner. Jayne had come to Billings on a transport ship one day, saw the bar for sale and plunked down the money for it then and there. That had been five years ago. Since then, he and his bar had become part of the fabric of the town. The townsfolk had been wary of the newcomers at first. He hadn't been born in Billings but they could tell just by looking at him that he was a Rim boy, through and through. Though from where, they weren't exactly sure.

When the gossip was slow, the locals liked to speculate on Jayne's past. Some said he had been a Fed, tired of walking the straight and narrow. Others whispered that he had been a convict, escaped from slam and hiding. He had that edge to him, something in his walk that made the local toughs look away first when he came down the street even though he carried no weapons they could see. Their guesses amused him but whenever someone got up the nerve to ask him to his face, his lips twitched and his eyes flashed and he told them it wasn't any of their business.

"Someone wanna call the lawman?" Jayne asked as he gently set the pistol on the bar, fingers lingering over the grip. It was a nice piece, all shiny silver with gold inlay along the barrel.

"No need," said Ralph. The sheriff pushed the door open all the way and stepped into the bar. Another uniformed man followed him. "Herbert says he saw a couple a fugies walkin' in. Thought I'd come see for myself."

Ralph eyed the bodies lying on the floor. "And I see I came too late. Gorramn, that looks ta be some mighty fine shootin' there son."

Jayne shrugged. "Weren't nothin'."

The Sheriff grinned like they were sharing a joke. "Weren't nothin'? Before today, Cobb, I'd a sworn ya never touched a gun before in yer life."

"'Course I've held a gun before, lawman," growled Jayne, though his eyes were laughing. "Won a few shootin' contests back home too. I ain't no nancy Core boy."

"Never doubted that for a minute." said Ralph. Chuckling, he thumbed on his comm. unit and asked Thelma back at the Sheriff's office to send the undertaker over. He nudged one of the bodies with the toe of his boot. "Why don't ya close up early and come on down to the station later an' give yer statement. Stan's gonna be a while with these here stiffs."

Jayne nodded and glanced down the bar. Ella was huddled on the floor crying softly. At some point, his wife had snuck out of the kitchen without anyone noticing and wrapped her arms around the frightened barmaid. She rocked Ella gently, whispering reassurances in her ear. Even though brawls were somewhat of a common occurrence, Jayne didn't blame her for getting all weepy this time. He squatted down next to them.

"Kooky, why don't you drive Ella home?" he suggested. "I'll stay and deal with the mess."

She smiled up at him. "Your mess, you clean it up."

"'Course I'll clean it up. What kinda husband do ya think I am?" Jayne rolled his eyes as he stood, making Ella giggle wetly. He reached down and easily pulled both of them to their feet. Something scraped across the floor with a metallic clang. He looked down and saw the meat cleaver now lying next to his foot. "You plannin' on makin' a mess too?"

"Only if necessary." She shot Jayne a cheeky grin and gave him a peck on the cheek. Winding her arm around Ella's shoulders, she tucked the taller girl's face into the crook of her neck before leading her out of the bar. "Don't need to look."

Jayne watched the door close behind them before turning back to the Sheriff.

"Yer a real lucky man, Jayne Cobb." Ralph remarked. Even though she had hidden Ella's eyes so she wouldn't have to see, the bartender's wife had not seemed at all bothered by the bloody mess on the floor. "Most girls get all up in vapors at the sight of a little blood ."

"Yeah, well, her brother's a butcher."

Jayne got back to the house later that night after spending hours scrubbing the wooden floor, getting the blood out before it set, to find his wife sitting at the kitchen table. Spread out before her were weapons he hadn't expected to see again for a long time and a formerly locked trunk that should have been in the attic sat open and half empty on the floor next to her chair.

"Kooky?"

Her head jerked up from the rifle she was working on, visibly stopping herself from snapping it into firing position. As she turned to face him, he realized she was holding Vera.

"What 'cha doin'?" he asked.

"They never stopped looking." She said in that haunted voice he had hoped he would never have to hear again. She looked up him, staring at him with wide eyes, pupils dilated until almost none of her brown irises could be seen. "Have to be ready. They're coming, coming for _you_."

* * *

Translations:_  
cha xiu bao_ – barbequed pork buns, also known as hum bao in Cantonese  
_yang gui zi_ – foreign devils

A/N: I hinted to some of you, waaay back, that I was working on a longer fic. Well, here it is.


	2. Chapter 1: Edge of Darkness

**CHAPTER ONE: EDGE OF DARKNESS**

The next night found River's Bend unusually busy. The place was buzzing with more activity than it had ever seen the entire five years it had been open. Word traveled fast as it usually did in small towns. When people heard that Jayne Cobb, upright peaceful businessman and faithful husband, never hurt a man in the five years they'd known him, had shot not just one but two men trying to rob his bar, well, everyone wanted a look. On any given day, most of the people who came to the bar were regulars and while a small portion of the bar's customers had always been made up of strangers, there had never been this many at once before. Every table was filled and every chair was occupied. It gave Jayne a bit of an uncomfortableness that was only slightly dispelled by the thought of the handgun hidden under the counter and his old hunting knife tucked in his boot shaft. But if the unusual number of strangers was making Jayne uncomfortable, it was making River even jumpier.

When they'd bought the bar, they hadn't planned for her to work there at all but then the _lao tu tou_ Jayne originally hired to do the cooking had a heart attack and kicked the bucket two weeks after her arrival. He hadn't been able to find anyone new right away so she agreed to fill in for a few days. Days turned into weeks and then months until Jayne gave up and let her take over. Not to mention if he didn't, he probably would've had a riot on his hands, most of the regulars came because of River's cooking, the barmaids adored her and well, she'd been bored rattling around in their little house on her lonesome all day.

She'd had a hard time keeping herself together when she first started working in the kitchen. She hadn't been used to being around so many strangers after living onboard a spacecraft with the same crew day after day. But as she gradually became familiar with all the people who frequented the bar, the number of thoughts she encountered whose originators were unknown to her decreased to the point where she was no longer bothered by them. It had been some time since she had last felt this close to being overwhelmed. Thankfully, the number of orders coming in kept her sufficiently busy in the kitchen that she didn't have time to think about all the unfamiliar thoughts pressing in on her.

Ralph walked in about dinner time, glancing from side to side as he made his way through the crowded bar to stand next to the kitchen window. River popped up to place three loaded platters on the sill. The barmaid working that evening swooped by a moment later to pick them up.

"Been like this all day, honey?" he asked her.

"Yes, Sheriff. It was most unexpected." She rubbed her forehead with a dishrag. "So many new thoughts. No time to prepare."

"You're a strange one, River, sweet but strange." Ralph chuckled. "Look, I was gonna come earlier an' warn ya it might be like this but I got held up at the station. Lotsa paperwork when you kill a couple a fugitives."

River's eyes widened.

"Don' worry your purty head 'bout it, darlin'. It's all stuff I gotta take care of. " He smiled fondly at her and moved over to snatch up a newly vacated seat at the bar. "I need ta talk ta Jayne. I'll just wait here 'till closing time."

It was late when the bar finally cleared out and the only one left was Ralph. The barmaids were sweeping the floor and River was cleaning up the kitchen, muttering about sanitary conditions. He watched Jayne wipe down the bar top with a loving hand. The long L-shaped counter was made of cherry wood especially imported from off world. The planks were stained dark, the long wavy grain shimmering in the light like a rushing river. The barmaids who worked closing liked to speculate on what those careful hands would feel like, smoothing across their skin. They would often look jealously at River who just smiled knowingly back at them.

"Kooky said ya wanted a word, Sheriff."

Ralph looked up to see that Jayne had finished with the bar and was standing across from him with the used towel slung over his shoulder.

"That's right. Reckoned ya might want ta know who all it was that ya shot yesterday."

Jayne shook his head. "Naw, just takin' care a what's mine is all. Don't matter none ta me."

"Well, I'll tell ya anyway." Ralph pulled some papers out of his coat pocket. Jayne's hands tightened reflexively around the edge of the counter when he saw the two flashing warrants but relaxed when the Sheriff laid them flat. The faces staring back at him were those of the men he had killed the day before. Skipping over their names, he skimmed over their crimes (multiple homicides on at least four border moons and two on Persephone) and glanced over the reward offered for their apprehension but had to look again to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. His jaw fell open in shock. _Wo de lao tian ye, ten thousand platinum?_

"That's for catchin' em alive," The Sheriff laughed at Jayne's dumbfounded expression. "But yer still a rich man now, Cobb. Good thing the warrants said dead or alive or ya woulda been out the reward money."

Jayne glanced back through the kitchen window, shifting uncomfortably. "Like I said Sheriff, don't matter none ta me. And what am I suppose ta do with all that cash? I got no need for it."

"Sure ya don't." Ralph flashed him a sly grin and slid a slip of paper over to Jayne who unfolded it to find two strings of numbers written on the inside. "It's too late now, anyways. I already had the courts transfer the money cuz I knew ya'd say that. Better you have it cuz I know ya ain't gonna lose yer head over it. Five thousand platinum, just sittin' down at the bank waitin' for ya. If yer sure ya don't want it, could always give it ta yer favorite Sheriff's office, yeah? 'Course if ya ask me, I'd buy yer old lady somethin' shiny."

Jayne told River about the reward money on the mule ride home. She already knew of course but she liked it when he said things out loud anyway. When he asked her what they should do with it, she quirked a smile and said "Kaylee can always use a few extra converters."

"Hell darlin', we could buy her a whole new engine with five thousand platinum!"

"But then Kaylee wouldn't have anything to do."

"'Cept sex up yer brother" he snickered. She giggled and without taking her eyes off the terrain, smacked him on the arm. "Hey now darlin', don't go startin' somethin' ya can't finish."

He reached over and tickled her across her belly in retaliation, making her giggle and the mule swerve. "Stop that this instant, Jayne Cobb!"

Ignoring her, he continued tickling up her ribcage.

"I said stop it!" she giggled. Gasping with laughter, she caught hold of his wrist and twisted, pinning him on the dashboard with his face pressed against the windscreen.

"Kooky!" he whined, testing her grip. "Lemme up!"

"Not until we get back. Besides," she patted his backside "like the view."

A few days later, a man in a bespoke suit and sunglasses sauntered into River's Bend. Jayne watched him walk right up to the bar and sit down in front of him.

"What can I get ya, mister?"

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks, if you don't mind. It's a long time in the Black, getting here from Qingdao, ain't that right Johnny?"

"Well now, I wouldn't know about that, mister. I've been around the 'verse a few times but I can't say I ever been ta Qingdao." Jayne examined the other man closely as he put the drink down in front of him. He was older now, obviously, hair liberally streaked with grey, deep lines etched into his skin that instead of sagging, seemed to have shrunk until it was stretched taunt across his bones, giving him a skeletal appearance. But despite the aging, he was still the last man Jayne had ever wanted to see again.

"Really now, Johnny?" drawled the man. "I'm surprised. Even a well-traveled man such as your self shouldn't be forgetting his homeworld. And he certainly shouldn't be forgetting me."

Jayne shook his head. "Sorry, mister. I really don't know who ya are."

"Then maybe this'll help you remember, Johnny." The man reached up and removed his sunglasses, revealing a twisted and scarred eye socket in which rested a blinded white eyeball. "Do you remember how I got this eye, Johnny?"

Jayne shook his head, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "I ain't never seen ya before. How's the hell should I know what happened to yer eye? And my name ain't Johnny. If it were, d'ya really think I'd go around callin' myself Jayne?"

"Barbed wire, Johnny," hissed the man as he leaned over the bar. "You threw it in my face. It gouged my eye out and ever since then, the only thing I can see with this eye is you, Johnny boy. So when you say you don't know who I am, I know you're lying."

Jayne stared back at the man before using his most intimidating growl. "You need to leave now, mister. I don't know who you think you are and I don't care who you think I am, but you are no longer welcome in this bar."

The other man smirked. "Sure, Johnny, I'll leave, just as soon as I say hello to your woman here."

Jayne looked over to see that River had slipped out of the kitchen again and was standing next to his elbow. Her eyes were unfocused as she gazed at the other man who couldn't see the meat cleaver she had clenched in her hand below the bar top. She tilted her head to the side before speaking.

"You're not like the Blue hands." She said in a sweet, lilting voice that was at odds with the rest of her tense body language. "Your hands are bloody and you walk in pools of it. It touches you and you bathe in it. You came for more and you'll get it. But the only blood you'll taste will be your own."

The man looked momentarily unnerved but regained his equilibrium with a blink of his good eye. He smiled nastily as he replaced his sunglasses and sauntered out of the bar. "It sound's like the little lady's a bit off her rocker there, Johnny. You might want to consider keeping a closer eye on her."

The end of the month was the province fair, swallowing Billings whole every year. The fair was the biggest event on the rock. There were carnival rides and midway games, livestock and produce contests, barrel racing and a rodeo. People came from all over to attend. It was loud and noisy and Jayne hated it even though it was their most profitable two weeks, a little because he just didn't like fairs on principle but mostly because it made River nervous. She hid in the kitchen, giving him wan smiles when she came to the window.

The last day of the fair dawned grey and cloudy, smelling like rain. Jayne gave in to the whining and closed up the bar early so the barmaids could have some fun before it started pouring. After the girls left, he went into the kitchen. River was sitting on the floor in the corner between the sink and the counter that ran under the window, arms clasped loosely around her knees. He sat down next to her and pulled her onto his lap.

"You doin' okay, River?" he asked. "Cuz I ain't hardly seen ya the last three weeks."

"They're coming." She buried her face in his solid shoulder.

"Who ya talkin' about?"

"Specters from the past. Thought we were safe but we're not."

"You know when they're gonna get here?"

She shook her head. Jayne shifted her so that he could stand. She put her small hand in his large one and was pulled to her feet. "Look, there ain't no sense in sittin' on this here cold floor all night and worryin' when you don't know for sure. Why don't we go down to the fair and get some of that cotton candy you like, huh?"

"Too many people. Too many thoughts. Going to rain."

"We'll be quick and go round the edges then. All the food stands are on the east side, maybe we'll see someone we know and they can bring one back for ya." Jayne pulled her hand behind him and under his shirt where the handle of a gun stuck out from where it was tucked into his waist band. "I got my LeMat with a full mag right here and my knife in my boot. Got a Colt stashed under the counter ya can grab on the way out. Ain't nothin gonna happen that we ain't ready for."

"You look better in red. Blue is the cold and red is the hot. Hot melts the cold." She flashed him a small smile, one that made his heart melt every time he saw it. "Like the hot."

"'Course you do, darlin'." He wiggled his eyebrows outrageously, making her giggle like he'd hoped it would. "So, whaddaya say? We goin'?"

"Yes, my Jayne. Let us go to the city of tiny lights and consume spun sugar," she said as they moved out to the front room. "Unless you want a hot dog?"

Jayne flicked off the lights before pulling the front door shut and locking it. "Naw, them carnival dogs is fulla who knows what. Mark's is the best but he don't got a stall this year on account of his ma bein' ill."

They skirted around the edge of town, avoiding most of the churning mass of color and activity that made up the fair. The light was dim as they walked through the alleys but organ and other midway music could still be heard. River kicked up her heels and danced ahead of Jayne. After a bit of searching, they found the stalls selling food clustered near a small stand of trees on the edge of the field behind the spaceport.

"Can ya tell where the candy cart is?" he asked River.

"It is halfway down this row." She replied. "Sheriff Ralph is at Pria's curry stand, three stalls over. Deputy Herbert is there also. He just spilled his vindaloo."

"See? Nothin' ta worry about. Even the lawmen are here." He pulled her up against his side and gave her a squeeze. "Ya gonna be okay by yerself for a tick? I'll just nip down the way and be back with that candy 'fore ya know it."

She nodded and reluctantly let him slide out of her arms. He walked briskly, his passage made easier by the way the crowd parted around him. He glared at the vendor as he paid for the (_gorramnit, didn't it come in any other color?_) pink cotton candy and in a moment of weakness, a hot dog for himself.

"Cobb, didn't think I'd see ya here this early." Jayne spun, nearly going for his gun but didn't when he saw it was the Sheriff. Behind him trailed the unfortunate Herbert, who indeed had curry spilled down his front.

"Yeah, well, ya know how the women get if they can't get out every once in a while."

"I surely do. Where is the missus tonight? I ain't seen her for a bit."

"Crowds make her nervous so I told her I'd come an' get 'er some sweets. She's waiting over yonder." Jayne indicated the little grove of trees with a jerk of his chin. He was just about to invite the Sheriff to walk back with him when he was interrupted by the sound of gun shots cutting through the air. "_Zhen ta ma de!_ That's my Colt!"

He dropped the candy and his hot dog and was barreling through the stunned crowd before the Sheriff had even registered where the shots had come from. The two lawmen drew their guns and dashed after him.

When they caught up, Jayne had come to a stop a short distance from the end of the row of food stalls. Between him and the trees a hundred feet away, stood the gentle, peaceful if somewhat eccentric woman Ralph knew as Jayne's wife. But this was a different woman from the one he saw cooking up a storm in the back of River's Bend every day. That woman had been replaced by something else, a creature full of deadly grace. She was facing the trees just outside the circle of light thrown by the fair, balanced on the balls of her feet, eyes hidden in shadow by the fall of her long dark hair. In her hand, held as though it were an extension of her body, was a gleaming pistol whose barrel was as long as her forearm. There was an edge of darkness about her that made tendrils of fear run down the back of the Sheriff's neck.

"Kooky?" Jayne had put his gun on the ground and was setting a wicked looking knife next to it. "River, you okay darlin'?"

Ralph stepped forward but was stopped by Jayne's arm across his chest. "Drop your weapon."

"What?"

"I said, drop your weapon."

"Why?"

"_Just do it!_" Something in the man's voice made the Sheriff obey. He flicked the safety back on and tucked his pistol back in its holster. "You too, Herb."

Jayne paid little attention to the grumbling Deputy and made his way carefully over to River while taking care to appear as non-threatening as possible. As he came closer, her eyes came up, the blank expression clearing as she registered his presence. He reached out slowly to touch her shoulders. "You in there, River?"

"Yes, Jayne. I'm here."

With a relieved sigh, he pulled her into his embrace. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

She turned and rested her forehead against his chest for a moment before tucking the Colt into his waistband. "Three of them came. I saw them twice in the bar last week and once the week before. Tried to take me but I made them run away. Shot two. They're in the trees."

Jayne looked his shoulder at the Sheriff who was standing awkwardly a few feet away. He jerked his head towards the trees. "Might wanna call Stan, should be two bodies over in them trees somewhere."

Ralph gave him a strange look but pulled out his comm unit and made the call. Herbert was back at the food stands trying to send the crowd away. Jayne thought he heard something about wild animals. The man didn't sound very convincing and the small droplets of water that had begun falling from the sky did more to disperse the crowd than the Deputy. Shaking his head, he shifted River in his arms.

"Hey Ralph!"

The Sheriff's head jerked up from where he was poking about in the grass.

"Ya need us here for anythin'? I wanna get River home 'fore it starts pourin'. She's shakin' like a leaf."

The other man thought for a second. "Naw, the two a ya can go. If I need ta talk ta either a ya, I know where ta find ya."

The mule ride back was bumpier than usual since Jayne had to drive one handed. His other arm was wrapped around River's slight form to keep her from shaking herself right off the seat.

It had been years since she'd had to use her skills like that, knew it shook her up every time but gorramn if Jayne didn't still find her sexy as hell when she did it. Five years of dirtside living might have settled him down some but he still had a yearning for danger and the deep black of space. At first he had thought he could be content with just River and the bar but the Black had been a part of him for too long. Holding River like this was almost like holding a grenade again, just after he pulled the pin and right before he threw it. He knew it was wrong, she didn't need him thinking like that at a time like this, so he made use of his God given amygdale and squashed that feeling as far down as he could.

When they reached the house it was raining steadily. Jayne scooped her up and carried her into their room. He set her gently on the bed and handed her a towel to dry off the rain. She grabbed his wrist when he moved away. "I'll just be out on the couch, darlin'."

"No. Stay."

"I'm thinkin' that's not gonna be a good idea."

River fixed him with a look that said she knew exactly what he was thinking and that was exactly what she wanted. Her grip tightened and suddenly he found himself sprawled over her on the bed. She lifted her hips and rolled the two of them over so that she straddled his waist. She leaned down next to his ear, pinning his wrists above his head. "Need you, Jayne. Need you to help me remember myself; you're the oak tree to my lightning. Help me find the ground again."

The feeling of holding live ordinance was back and the whisper of her breath against his neck was nearly more than he could bear. He tilted his head up and kissed her hard, suckling her lower lip. She moaned into his mouth, sending bolts of electricity shooting down his spine. Her hands left his wrists to run through his short hair, making his scalp prickle. He rumbled with pleasure, the sound vibrating deep in his chest, like the thunder rolling outside their window.

* * *

**Translations:**  
_Lao tu tou_ – old bald guy  
_Wo de lao tian ye_ – Oh my god  
Qingdao – Stringed instrument isle  
_Zhen ta ma de _– Oh fuck!

**Fun facts:**  
Qingdao is the pin yin romanization of Tsingtao, which you may recognize as the name of a Chinese beer company. Qingdao literally translates to "stringed instrument isle", a reference to the supposed shape of the coastline. The Tsingtao Brewery was originally founded by German colonists in 1903 to provide beer for westerners living in China. Today, the company's products make up over fifty percent of China's exports and are the number one branded product to be exported. Like most beers made in China, Tsingtao contains rice but supposedly still tastes like a typical German pilsner however, the author cannot attest to the veracity of that statement as she has not had an opportunity to conduct a proper comparison.

Due to its extensive root system and the hollow water-filled cells that run up and down its trunk, the tree most commonly struck by lightning is the oak tree.


	3. Chapter 2: Don't Make Faces

**CHAPTER TWO: Don't Make Faces**

Jayne woke the next morning to find the space next to him cold and empty. But the smell of frying bacon wafting past his nose drew him out of bed and into the kitchen. River stood at the stove, crisp white apron over a brightly colored dress. She had a pot of _xi fan_ going on the back burner and eggs and bacon sizzling in a pan. She turned as he entered, smiling up at him.

"_Zao an_."

"Morning." He sniffed the air appreciatively. "Something smells good."

"Anything smells good when you're not the one cooking it."

"Hey! What's that suppose ta mean?" He reached out and snagged her by the waist, pulling her in for a good morning kiss. When he slid his hand over the curve of her buttock to pull her closer, he was jolted out of the kiss by direct application of a spatula to the side of his head.

"You'll ruin breakfast!"

"Nah." He nudged her in the direction of the kitchen table where all the condiments were set out, making her beam up at him. "Why don't I take care a the cookin' today, huh?"

He had the food done in short order but before they could eat, someone came knocking on their front door. Jayne pulled out his gun and went to see who it was. He nudged the little curtain apart using the gun barrel. Ralph stood on their front porch, with his hat in his hands and a grave expression on his face.

Jayne tucked his gun back into his waistband and opened the door. "Sheriff, what're you doin' here so early?"

"Is River here?"

"'Course she is. Where else would she be?"

"Good, good. Listen, Jayne, I need ta talk ta the two a ya. Is this a good time?"

"Uh, no?"

River invited Ralph in anyway. They sat down in the living room with cups of real green tea, or in Jayne's case, tea and his breakfast. Jayne and River sat together on the settee, Ralph in an armchair across from them.

"So, Sheriff, whatchu wan talk abou'?" Jayne asked around a spoonful of porridge.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "It's about the men River shot last night."

"What about 'em?"

"We found both of 'em in the trees like ya said. But Jayne, they was nearly on the other side of 'em! That's near two hundred feet away from where she was standin'! Colt's only got an accurate range of a hundred an' fifty. Even if they kept runnin' after, they was shot right through the middle a the chest, ain't no way she coulda got 'em like that. Nonna us ever seen anythin' like it an I been a lawman fer forty five years."

Jayne paused in the middle of a bite and glanced over at River. She was staring steadily into her cup of tea, nibbling on her lip but she didn't look like she was about to fall apart. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up at him. "Was expecting this. Had time to prepare. Glad he came by himself."

"I was jokin' the other day when I said I didn' think ya'd ever held a gun before, Jayne." continued Ralph, rubbing his balding head. "That'd be impossible, man like yourself. But I ain't jokin' when I say that 'bout River. An' the way she was holdin' that Colt last night. That thing ain't no peashooter!"

Jayne glared at the bewildered Sheriff. "So what's that gotta do with anything? Plenty a women folk can shoot. Just don't like ta make a fuss about it."

"I'm sayin'… Aw, hell, I dunno what I'm sayin'!" Ralph ran a hand over his face. "I looked those men up on the Cortex last night, them's stone-cold mercs, contract killers. Look Jayne, if either a ya are in trouble, ya oughta tell me. Don' wanna see either a ya gettin' hurt, 'specially you, River."

He looked hard at her but River just smiled reassuringly back at the older man. Jayne huffed in annoyance.

"Don't make faces, Jayne. The Sheriff must be told sometime."

"Fine, but yer doin' the talkin'."

Jayne, Mal and Zoë sauntered into the dark warehouse, casually glancing at all the merchandise. The space was packed with stolen goods, some of which the rightful owners did not want to buy back nor write off as a loss, which was where the three of them came in.

Jayne examined the stacks of unmarked crates with a jaundiced eye. "How in the gorramn hell is we suppose to know where anything is?"

"Not to worry, Jayne. Info says what we're after is in the southeast corner. Crate's suppose to be big and blue and mostly empty."

All the crates were blue and three feet square, stacked into groups three tall and four squared.

"That sure is descriptive, sir."

Jayne and Zoë looked over at their captain. He looked back at them and shrugged. "Well, guess we better start looking."

Luckily it wasn't a very large warehouse and most of the crates were stuffed full but it still took them the better part of an hour to find the crate they were looking for. They finally found it at the very far back, against the wall. Zoë popped the latches holding it closed and gestured to the handle.

"Want to do the honors, sir?"

"Don't mind if I do." He lifted the lid and they all stared down into the crate… in which sat three wooden babushka dolls.

"We did all that searching for these pieces a _gou pi_ dolls?!" Jayne exclaimed.

"Hey! I'll have you know, these here dolls are an extremely valuable commodity. They're cute and smugglers and other persons of questionable repute like 'em cuz they're hollow on the inside."

Jayne opened his mouth but Zoë cut him off. "No sense in arguin', Jayne. We get the goods, we get paid."

"Right, so let's grab 'em and go." added Mal. He pulled the dolls out of their crate and stuffed them into a bag slung over his shoulder.

They made their way out of the maze of crates, only to walk straight into the path of a guard. They froze.

"What 'er ya doin' in 'ere?"

"Just havin' a look around, sir." replied Mal. "It's a very fine warehouse you have here."

"Oh reeaally?" The guard was not convinced. He squinted and pointed his gun at them, clearly not the typical rent-a-cop. "Whatchoo got in that bag there?"

"Oh, nothing." Mal glanced over at the other two. Jayne just snorted and Zoë rolled her eyes. He was clearly not getting any help from that quarter.

The guard cocked his gun. "Why don' ya jus' put that bag down and put yer paws in the air."

The three glanced at each other and broke off running in different directions.

"Git back 'ere!" shouted the guard. They heard him get on his comm. link and call for back up.

Mal took a cue from the guard. "Albatross! Could use a little rescuin' here!"

"Two minutes and four seconds, captain."

Mal growled. River being so close could only mean that she had known something would happen. He was going to have to have words with the girl about warning them ahead of time because their easy as pie plan was getting all shot to hell. Jayne had climbed up on top of the crates to Mal's right, returning fire on the guards, most of which were now chasing after him as he ran to the end of the row. Zoë was dodging bullets of her own as she maneuvered easily between the stacks. Mal dashed behind a group of crates on his left. Sticking his head out, he saw the large doors of the warehouse just ahead of him. He slipped out from behind the stack and made for the doors. Suddenly, Zoë and Jayne slammed into him on both sides.

"Didn't you say somethin' about walkin' in an' walkin' right back out again?" complained Jayne. His gun clicked empty. "Knew I shoulda brought a coupla extra clips."

More men emerged from the gloom of the warehouse, making for a total of nine guns trained on their persons. The three of them slowly backed away from the advancing guards.

"Jayne?"

"Don' lookit me! I ain't kooky."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the doors exploded open and the mule came crashing into the warehouse. It swung sideways, thrusters burning arcs on the wooden floor and allowing River, who could barely see over the controls, to stand and lay down cover fire for her companions in crime. Not about to stick around, the three in the warehouse dove for the mule. Their backsides had barely made contact with the seats before the vehicle was moving again. Jayne yelped when he realized he was sitting on a rifle that was lying across the bench waiting for him. Weapon in hand he twisted around with a feral grin to give the guards ample reason not to follow.

"So what yer tellin' me is that the two a ya were… pirates?" Ralph stared at them, unable to reconcile this new information about the two of them just yet. Since Jayne's arrival in Billings, he had been very careful about not getting into fights, fists or otherwise. It had driven him crazy for a while until he discovered what the Shepard meant about redirecting his energy into other pursuits, if a little reversed.

"Well, not precisely." hedged Jayne. "We was more like, what was the feller's name? Robin Hood!"

River rolled her eyes. "Piloted a mid-bulk transport class code 03-K64 Firefly. Sometimes the back up gun and mule driver. Jayne was the public relations officer."

The Sheriff's snort made his thoughts on Jayne's abilities in that arena plain. "So ya have held a gun before?"

"Many times, Sheriff." River said, patiently.

"So if ya'll were pirates, what'er ya doin' in Billings runnin' a bar?"

Jayne growled. "Got tired a riskin' my neck for gorramn nesting dolls."

"Wanted to be with Jayne." explained River, though the Sheriff was pretty sure there was a little more to it than just wanting to be with Jayne. Pretty girls like her might run off with the bad boy Ralph was sure that Jayne was, but they didn't stick around and bad boys didn't settle down like Jayne had either. When she'd first arrived, rumor had it that River was pregnant but when it was clear she wasn't, the town's busy bodies had been left scratching their heads.

"So ya sure ya didn't leave any trouble behind?" questioned Ralph. "Jus' wanna be prepared."

"Sheriff, your concern is appreciated." River said, reassuringly, "But it is unlikely that the events from last night will be repeated."

Ralph didn't seem quite sure that he believed her but he stood and put on his hat. "Well, alright then. I'll jus be takin' my leave. Got things ta do down at the station."

After the door closed behind the Sheriff, Jayne and River looked at each other with matching sighs of relief.

"Ya really think no one'll come after us again?" Jayne asked after a beat.

"The future is not set in stone."

"That's real reassurin' there, Kooky."

The excitement over the shooting and the incident at the fair gradually faded and the bar soon returned to business as usual, though River seemed to have won over a few new regulars. Thirty minutes 'til midnight and Sunday morning found them looking forward to their day off since no one but the church and the general store were open on Blue Law Sundays. The two of them were locking the front door when River suddenly spun around, back flat against the wall, eyes searching the darkness. Though she had told the Sheriff that it was unlikely that they would be attacked again, they hadn't relaxed their guard.

"Kooky?" Jayne moved over to River. Her cry of "Don't!" was cut off by the sting of tranquilizer darts.

"Jayne!" River ducked behind one of the wide wooden posts holding up the porch roof, pulling a tiny six shot revolver he liked to call Maria but she called John just to tease him, out from under her skirt. _Gorrammit_, he thought to himself. _Stay focused._ He yanked the darts out of his shoulder and went for the LeMat. He was feeling a touch of wooziness but if he could just get River and himself to the mule, they would be able to get away.

River could feel Jayne's mind beginning to wander and knew that she needed to act before he passed out completely. Luckily, it would take some time for the drugs to really affect him but wait too long and she'd have to haul his fine _pi gu_ home by herself. No way was she ever doing that again. Reaching out with her mind, she pinpointed the location of the man who had taken up a sniper position behind the facade of a building across the street. He was only armed with a tranquilizer gun but he would still be the first to go. From his mind, she leapfrogged to the men lying in wait at either end of the street.

"Jayne, are you still with me?" She asked.

"Yeaup." He replied. He was slouched against the wall but his gun hand didn't waver.

"One on the rooftop, three there and there." She gestured to where they were hiding. "I'll get the sniper. Can you get to the mule and find the Sheriff?"

"'Course I can." He grinned sloppily at her. "Just like old times, huh?"

River shut her eyes, the location of the man, his distance in relation to her and the others, the range of her weapon and a hundred other variables flying through her head. She stuck her gun out from behind the post and fired once. The man slumped, scope shattered and his eye exploded. "Yes, Jayne, just like old times."

Things happened quickly after that. With the sniper gone, River dashed into the middle of the road, running for the end of the street furthest from the bar. The men saw her coming and moved to ring her in, just as she knew they would. She slipped easily between two of them, dancing to the side, lining them up in her sights. Number One dropped easy, bullet to the brain pan. Number Two was too close so she crushed his larynx with her fist. He died gasping. Number Three came at her with a needle but she knocked it out of his hands with a kick before he even realized she was within reach. Her booted foot retraced its arc through the air and snapped his neck on the way down.

A few blocks over, Ralph was sitting in the Sheriff's office with Herbert and a nice hot cup of fresh coffee. Their gun belts lay across their desks, expecting the typical Saturday night. Suddenly, the sound of gunshots broke the quiet. Ralph sat up straight, listening intently, while Herbert fell over backwards in surprise.

"Ya hear that Herb?" asked Ralph as he buckled his belt around his waist.

"Yeah, Ralph, it came from eastside." The deputy said as he picked himself up off the floor. He grabbed his own gun as he ran out to catch up with the Sheriff.

For his part, Jayne had used River's distraction wisely. They kept the mule hitched to the side of the building, two shops down. Despite the heaviness creeping into his limbs, he managed to get himself to the last shop before the men hiding there even knew he was coming. By the time they realized he was on them, he'd shot one and knocked out another but that was where things started going fuzzy. The tranquilizer had slowed his reaction time and he couldn't move fast enough to avoid the bullet that thudded into his shoulder. It knocked him off balance, sending him sprawling on his back in the dirt. He heard a hammer being pulled back and braced himself, thinking he was a goner for sure but the pain he expected never came. By the time he was able to get his sluggish head off the ground and look around, it was all over. The third man lay motionless, River standing over him with his own gun in her hand.

"Jayne? Are you alright?"

She dropped the gun and moved to his side. She swore softly when she saw the blood welling up from his shoulder. Kneeling, she pressed down on the wound, casting about for something to soak up the blood. Finding nothing suitable, she pulled off her sweater and folded it into a square.

"Jayne? Can you still hear me Jayne?"

"Yeaa."

She breathed a sigh of relief. He was still conscious. The tranquilizer was probably doing something to keep his mind off the pain but she was going to have to get help for him soon. She undid his belt, pulled it out of the belt loops and buckled it around both her sweater and his shoulder. It wasn't as tight as she would've liked but it was the best she could do.

She ran her hands over his body, checking for other injuries. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Naauh."

" Jayne, I need to get you to your feet but you will have to help me. _Dong ma_?" He nodded. She hooked her arm under his uninjured shoulder and took hold of his other hand with hers. "On the count of three now. _Yi, er, san_!"

With a groan, she managed to haul him upright, muttering about angels. Staggering under his weight, she settled his arm over her shoulders and put her arm around his waist. She was about to take a step when she looked up and saw two figures on horseback.

"Ya wanna tell me what the ruttin' hell just happened?" demanded Ralph.

* * *

Translations:_  
Xi fan_ – rice porridge, literally: runny rice  
_Zao an_ – good morning,  
_Gou pi_ – crap, literally: dog fart  
_Pi gu_ – ass  
_Dong ma?_ – Understand?  
_Yi, er, san_! – One, two, three!

Fun Facts:Blue laws were common in the United States and Canada during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Their intended purpose was to enforce Sunday as the day of rest and so prohibited commerce on the seventh day of the week, most notably the sale of alcohol. Interestingly, many establishments endorsed these laws as it allowed them to have a day off without having to worry about their competition. Most states have by now repealed these laws although there are a few which still observe them.

Rice porridge is also known as rice congee and is traditionally eaten by the Chinese and other Asian people for breakfast, supplemented with a variety of condiments such as pickled leeks, chili bamboo or various kinds of shredded meat. My personal favorite is century egg and pork congee.


	4. Chapter 3: Got a Story Ta Tell Ya

**CHAPTER THREE: Got a Story Ta Tell Ya**

Jayne was greeted by the familiar ceiling of their bedroom when he woke up. For a moment he thought that everything had been a dream. They hadn't found him again and he didn't have yet another scar to add to his collection. But the spike of pain that lanced through his shoulder when he reached out for River brought him back to reality.

"Shouldn't have moved." She rolled onto her side to face him. The sun was already up and splashing rays of light through the little room. It bounced off the white washed walls and through River's hair, making it sparkle with reddish highlights. Her pale skin seemed to glow and her deep brown eyes were warm with life. They reminded him of another pair of brown eyes that had looked back at him what seemed a lifetime ago.

"Morning, gorgeous." He covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. "How long was I out?"

"It is four hours before high noon on the seventh day of the week. Roberto does not understand your rapid metabolism and natural resistance to sedatives." She began checking his bandages. Finding that they were not displaced or soaked through with blood, she smoothed them down and let her fingers play over his bare chest.

"Yeah, well, Roberto might know more than anyone about bringin' babes into this 'verse but yer brother, he ain't."

"No, he is definitely not Simon."

"So what happened after I got shot?"

"The Sheriff found us, took you to the doctor, found the undertaker. Was ignored by the doctor, helped the undertaker move the bodies. Didn't want people to see them on the way to church."

"Aw, Kooky, you didn't have ta do that. Shoulda just let ole' Stan take care a them all."

She shrugged. "You were still with the doctor. Didn't want to just sit."

She fell silent after that. It was rare that they were able to simply enjoy each other's company like this so they soaked it up while they could. The bar kept them busy most days and when it didn't, there was always something to be done around the house. Eventually, River broke the silence. "Sheriff's coming, going to ask more questions. Not going to like the answers."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Have to tell him everything this time. No more hiding."

"No more hiding." agreed Jayne.

The scene was nearly the same as the one that had taken place weeks earlier. Jayne and River were on the settee with the Sheriff across from them in the armchair. However, there was no fine green tea this time, just coffee. Ralph leaned forward and placed his mug on the low table between them, all traces of the friendly small town sheriff gone from his expression.

"I think the two a ya had better come clean. I got six bodies in the morgue which is pretty compellin' evidence that River ain't what she says she is, gun hand or no. I also got myself another man in lock down that ain't talkin'." He fixed them with a glare, steel glinting in his green eyes. "So one a ya wanna tell me what's really goin' on?"

Jayne and River looked at each other, Jayne silently asking the question and River answering. In agreement, they faced the Sheriff

Jayne rolled his eyes and gave a long suffering sigh. "Sheriff, you're gonna be glad you're sittin down. We got a story ta tell you."

It was nearing lunch by the time they had told Ralph everything, the Academy, the things that had been done to River, the series of events that took _Serenity_ to Miranda and then broadcasting the message they found there. After the Miranda Broadwave, as it had come to be called, with capitals and everything, the Alliance had weakened though it had not collapsed completely. There were whispers of a new Independent movement that might succeed this time, but so far, no organized resistance had materialized. Ralph might not have believed that Jayne and River had been part of the group who had sent the Broadwave if he hadn't seen with his own eyes the aftermath of the two attempted attacks. There had been rumors of a girl who'd killed a hundred Reavers and lived to tell the tale but it seemed too fantastic to be true and he said as much.

"Who the hell do ya think nailed that _hun dan_ with the knife in the bar six months back? No way I coulda gotten 'im in the eye like that and gotten his gun at the same time!" exclaimed Jayne, who seemed to be taking the Sheriff's disbelief as a personal insult. "I'd have needed ta be in two places at once ta do that."

"Whaddaya mean?" asked Ralph. "Ella said you was sittin' at the bar slicin' limes."

"And the knife was still sittin' there when you walked in. Kooky saw what was happenin' out front. Knew I was gonna make a move."

"And the number of Reavers was overestimated. There were only forty three." River stated in an annoyed voice.

Ralph shook his head. "So lemme get this straight, the warrants on you and yer brother were cancelled and yer boat was all fixed up." He rubbed at a crick in his neck, he'd relaxed a bit when the couple were so forthcoming but he wasn't about to leave without hearing the whole story this time. "Still don' understand what the two a ya are doin' on this grubby little rock."

"That, Sheriff, is an even longer story."

_Six years earlier_

The mule came roaring into _Serenity_'s cargo hold, narrowly missing a stack of crates. Mal jumped out before the vehicle came to a full stop, yelling into his comm. unit.

"Albatross! Get us the hell off this _ta ma de _dust ball and outta gorramn atmo!"

"Already on it, Captain." Her calm voice helped steady him some until Simon came skidding through the doorway a beat later.

"What happened? Is anyone hurt?"

"Jayne's been shot. You got the infirmary ready?"

"Of course." Simon turned to examine the unfortunate mercenary while Mal brought his comm. unit up but River's voice came over the ship's intercom before he could even being speaking.

"Exiting the atmosphere in two minutes and four point three seconds, Captain." Mal growled and turned to see if Simon needed any help. Jayne had been hit high on the chest, dangerously close to his lung but if he was lucky, the bullet had missed and was lodged in his shoulder instead.

"Need any help with Jayne?" asked the Captain. He could feel the slight downwards pull on his body that indicated another flawless lift off.

"Help Zoë. This doesn't look good."

Four hours later, _Serenity _was well on her way into the black. Simon and Zoë trudged tiredly into the common area to see the rest of the crew gathered on the various pieces of furniture.

"How's Jayne?" asked River, anxiously.

"The bullet punctured his lung, any further right and it would've ripped through a vein. He's lucky that you got back here so fast. He lost a lot of blood." replied Simon as he dropped carelessly onto the sofa next to Kaylee and draped his arm over his eyes. "I'm going to keep him down here for a few days. At least until I get tired of his whining or he can breathe without pain, which ever one happens first."

"What happened out there Mal?" Inara asked. She'd gotten part of the story from him while they waited but other things had called for their attention.

"Way I heard it, the drop was going down without a hitch." added Kaylee.

"It did." said Zoë. "Those men who shot Jayne, they weren't after our money or the goods. They were bounty hunters."

"I thought the Operative said the Alliance rescinded the warrants." Simon's voice was muffled by his arm. "Why are they after River again?"

"Inara and I checked the Cortex while you were in surgery, doc." answered Mal. "Seems it's not River they're after."

"Jayne?" asked Simon, his mouth dropping open in shock.

"It appears there's more to our favorite mercenary than meets the eye."

"How is that possible?" asked Simon. River smacked him lightly on the back of his head.

"I don't rightly know but as soon as Jayne wakes up, I will want an accounting." He looked over at Simon. "I expect to be told as soon as he so much as turns over."

Simon nodded. "Of course."

Mal clapped his hands. "Well, until then, we all have things to be doing so let's get to doing them."

The impromptu meeting began to break up after that. Mal heading up to the bridge while Zoë and Inara went to the galley to start dinner, Kaylee went to check on the engine and Simon went to shower. Seeing that she was alone in the common room, River tiptoed into the infirmary. Jayne was lying asleep in the chair, faced lined with pain. The long pale scar left behind when she'd slashed him peeked out from under the thin infirmary blanket. Images of disgust, bright lights, annoyance, blue hands marching two by two hurrah! flashed through her mind and she'd only meant to cut his shirt and through the confusion but had accidentally sliced him as well. She reached out and traced the edge of the scar with a slender finger.

He sighed suddenly, making her jump in surprise. She thought he would wake even though the amount of drugs Simon had given him meant he should be out cold until tomorrow at the very earliest. Instead, he relaxed under her feather light touch and the lines in his face eased. She clambered up on to the second bed and stayed there until dinnertime, watching him sleep.

"Captain?"

"Huh?" Mal jerked awake at the sound of Simon's voice coming over the ship's intercom. He'd fallen asleep checking the Cortex for any mention of Jayne Cobb. He did not like what he found, or rather, didn't find.

"Jayne's awake."

"I'll be right down."

Apparently, Simon was already tiring of Jayne's whining and had moved him into one of the passenger dorms. Zoë was leaning against the ladder outside the little room with her arms crossed. She nodded at him as he entered. Jayne was propped up against the head of the bed, awake but blinking groggily. River sat in a chair next to him. She smiled up at the Captain as he entered and shut the door behind him.

"Wass goin' on?" slurred Jayne.

"That's what I'd like to know." replied Mal "You wanna explain why you got bounty hunters after ya?"

Jayne let his eyes close and his head flop back against the pillows. "Shit."

"Damn straight."

Jayne cracked open an eye to glare at the hard faced captain. He opened his mouth.

"Confession is good for the soul." interrupted River, before either could say anything.

"Don' need no confession." River extended a leg and poked him in the shoulder with her toe. "Alri', alri', I'll tell 'im."

"Tell me what, Jayne?"

"'member when I tried ta trade ya Vera?"

Mal nodded tightly.

"Those men that came after me, the ones I tol' you abou'? They was… family."

"Your own family wants ta kill you? What the gorramn hell did you do, Jayne?"

"Not my family, Mal. Well, I guess they were but I meant… They were _san he hui_, couple of 'em were prolly just kids tryin' to get their numbers but the rest of 'em, well, I might've killed the man that owned Vera but I only made it out by the skin of my teeth."

"So you're… connected then?" asked Mal. Jayne nodded.

"Why the gorramn hell didn't you tell me they were after you, Jayne?!" exploded Mal "I would'a never let you on my boat."

Jayne looked away, frowning. "Jayne isn't my name."

"_Zhen ta ma de._" Mal felt a little faint. It was as usual, worse than he thought, not only did Jayne have connections to some really big damn bad guys that made Adelai Niska look cuddly, Jayne wasn't even his real name. River got up and pushed her chair under Mal's backside before he could hit the floor. "I think you better tell me what kind a trouble you're in, right the hell now. How abouts you start with what your name really is?"

**Translations:**  
_Hao ma_ – alright  
_Hun dan_ – bastard  
_(zhen) Ta ma de_ – damn/fuck, which ever is appropriate.  
_San he hui_ - triad

A/N: This is the last chapter for a while. I'll try not to make you guys wait too long.


	5. Chapter 4: A Face With The Name

**Warning:** This may get confusing as Jayne is referred to by another name. Just remember that Jayne is the main character and his name still starts with a "J" and you should be fine. :D You may also want to review the last chapter, just to refresh your memory.  
**Author's Note:** Yay! Finally, another chapter of A River of Violence and gasp it's the one you've all been waiting for. I hope it's worth it.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: A FACE WITH THE NAME**

"_How abouts you start with what your name really is?"_

"John Thomas Lang! You get your skinny little _pi gu_ back in here this instant!" Maria Lang was a tall, elegantly framed woman who was used to getting her way when she demanded it. And right now, she wanted her second oldest son's help with the grilling.

"_Deng yi xia_, Ma!"

John clumped onto the porch a minute later carrying a stack of ammo boxes, rifle slung across his back. Setting the gun and boxes down, he wiped his feet on the mat and stuck his head into the kitchen.

"Whaddaya need Ma?"

"Speak properly boy," Maria scolded "I'm not raising any heathens in this house. What were you doing out back?"

He shuffled his feet. "Just some target practice."

"Target practice?" She glared up at her son who was only now overtaking her in height. "You know how I feel about you spending so much time with those guns. No good will ever come of it, Johnny. You mark my words."

"Aw ma, don't start. It's just for fun and all. Got to keep my eye sharp for huntin'- I mean hunt_ing_ season." he corrected himself.

Maria frowned but instead of arguing, she thrust a large covered bowl into his hands. "Well, I'll tell you what you can start. You start that spiedie chicken and make sure you don't overcook it. Your sisters don't like it when it's all hard."

"Don't worry Mrs. Lang. I won't let Johnny burn anything."

Maria looked around John as he shifted to the side and saw a slender Chinese girl with wide brown eyes hidden behind thick glasses carefully balancing an armload of punctured tin cans. "Well hello there Feng. I couldn't see you, John's getting so big. He's going to eat us right out of house and home if he keeps growing the way he is. Go ahead and leave those cans out on the porch. How's your family?"

Feng set the cans down and pushed her slipping glasses back up her nose before answering. "_Ting hao de_, Mrs. Lang. Ba's feelin' better. That tonic ya sent 'im seems ta be workin'."

"That's good to hear." Maria smiled. "Now go on and make sure that spiedie's done right."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

The next afternoon John and his older brother Paul walked into the Gunpowder Rose Saloon. The proprietress, their Aunt Zeta, waved at them happily even though they'd just come off a ten hour shift in the sweltering sun at the outdoor metal works where they welded and fabricated parts for the brewery owned by their grandfather and the local plantations. He'd started working there with his Ba and Paul during the summers when he was fourteen and what began as a way to earn a little pocket money had turned into a full time job after finishing high school. Spotting three of their many cousins in the back corner, the Lang brothers pulled up chairs and joined them. As they sat down, their cousins cleared the tabletop of a myriad of objects amid their greetings. Papers, pencils, half smoked cigarettes, an abacus, self-inking calligraphy brushes, three sets of Russian nesting dolls, small bags of suspicious white powder, a rubber chicken and a handgun all disappeared into various briefcases and satchels.

"Four fifteen, right on the nose." Their cheerful old Aunt remarked as she placed glasses of ice water in front of the newcomers. "I could set a watch by you boys."

"Yup, that's us, Aunt Zeta.," said Paul, with a cheeky grin.

"They're a pair a' goody two shoes, like to be punctual." teased one of the other boys.

"So, anything else for the two of you or ya just gonna wait for yer girls?" asked Zeta.

"She's not my girl." grumbled John, speaking more out of habit than any real indignation.

"Sure Johnny." Everyone rolled their eyes. "Whatever ya say."

"Anyway," John said irritably. "We're just waiting today, Zeta _a yi_. Ma would have our hides if we spoil our dinners."

"Ya sure? We just got a fresh shipment of peanuts in today."

Both boys refused again and after some more good-natured ribbing, Zeta moved off to see to her other customers. When she was gone, Paul turned to John.

"You should just ask her, Johnny. You know she'd say yes."

The other boys made noises of agreement and encouragement. John glared them into silence.

"It ain't that." He fiddled with his napkin. "It's just… her Ba wants an in with Ma's folks. Feng _xian sheng _just has the wrong idea about us."

Paul was about to respond when a beautiful red haired waitress came up to their table. All of the boys promptly forgot how to speak.

"Hey there, sweetie." the redhead greeted Paul. "How was your shift?"

"Kat!" Even after two years, Paul still seemed slightly shocked that such a fine looking girl would choose him. Katarina had set her heart on Paul the first time she saw him walk into the Saloon. But convincing him to ask her out took her nearly three months longer than she'd hoped.

John turned away from the table as Paul kissed his fiancé. From where he was sitting, he could see Feng in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher. She looked up at him, lips curling when he made gagging faces at his older brother. Unlike Kat, Feng was a bit of an ugly duckling. Her slim, boyish body was of average height. Her eyes were large and intelligent but her gaze was a little too sharp, too direct for many to feel comfortable making eye contact. The only thing that occasionally caught a boy's attention was her long black hair. John could remember quite vividly the moment he realized he cared more for Feng than just as a friend.

It was last summer. Zeta had let her off work early so she had gone down to the metal shop to meet him after his shift. It had been a hard day, rebuilding a large section of the copper body of one of the stills. By the time he was done, most of the other workers had already left, taking one last drink from the bucket and leaving just a thin layer of water at the bottom. So not only was he going to have to leave tired and dirty but also thirsty. She'd been waiting for him at the gate, a smile on her face and a shining metal thermos in her hand. Her hair had been unbound from its usual tightly coiled braid and was blowing free in the hot summer wind. John felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of water over his head. He knew then that everything he was looking for in all the other girls, he would find in Feng, the thermos full of ice water she handed him was just icing on the cake.

Loading the last of the dishes quickly, Feng started the washer before collecting her book bag and walking out to the main room to join them.

"Why are you still carrying that?" John asked suspiciously, pointing at the bag bulging with books and papers. "Graduation was weeks ago."

Feng rolled her eyes. "Just 'cause ya burned all yer books doesn't mean I'm gonna, Johnny."

John reached over and swiped the official looking envelope that had caught his eye. "Hey, what's this?"

"Give that back!" Feng grabbed for the envelope but John was able to use his longer arms to keep it out of her grasp. He opened the envelope and unfolded the heavy parchment paper. Feng crossed her arms and looked down, defeated, while he read the letter.

"This is from the Qingdao Medical Academy." He said, seriously. "Why didn't you tell me you got in?"

John had expected her to be more excited about getting into college and getting away from home. Jump around or squeal or some other girly thing but she seemed sad more than anything else.

"Where am I gonna find the money? My family's barely gettin' by as it is. They gave me a scholarship but it ain't nearly enough even if I work. _Mei guan xi_, I can't go."

John frowned. "But you've always wanted to go to Medicad. Qindao's the best in the system."

Feng shook her head. "Look, let's jus' forget about it. Ya ready to go?"

John reluctantly let the matter drop and cast an annoyed glance over at his brother who was still caught up in his girlfriend. "Yeah, Paul can get his mushy _pi gu_ home on his own."

As they walked down the dusty street, Feng chattered about the book she was reading. John nodded at the right places, not really listening. He had skimmed the book but he hadn't been caught up in it the way Feng had. Somehow, being trapped on a space ship with a crazy super computer named Hal was not his idea of a fun read. Occasionally they would pass a group of other teens they had gone to school with. Their former classmates would wave or call out greetings to John who was barely paying attention to what Feng was saying, never mind the pretty girls trying to catch his eye, which Feng should've noticed as unusual given John's reputation as a ladies man. Instead, John was trying to gather his courage to ask her an important question.

"Have ya heard a word I've said?" Feng's question cut through his thoughts. He grinned sheepishly at her. She sighed. "I didn't think so. What's on yer mind then? Other than college."

"You know my Uncle Joseph's girl, Ping, is getting' married next week?"

"Yer mother might've mentioned it last night. Is yer family goin'?"

"Yeah."

Feng waited for him to continue but when he simply stood there staring at her, she made a circular motion with her hand. _Get on with it_.

"Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go with me." John tugged on his reddening ear. Feng stared up at him, blinking owlishly behind her thick glasses. "I mean, it's going to be family there mostly. You've met Ping, she thinks you're nice."

"Are you… asking me as a date?" she asked, brows knit in confusion.

"Er, yeah." John said lamely. "I mean, we don't have to if ya don't want to…"

She grinned up at him. "I'd love to!"

John returned her grin and stopped in his tracks to hug her, nearly tripping an elderly couple walking behind them.

* * *

The wedding was to take place in the early evening, with a reception following. John and Paul had been able to wrangle half shifts but the day still seemed to drag. When one o'clock finally rolled around, they hurried home to get cleaned up. Johnny wasn't sure why he felt nervous. He'd gone out with a lot of girls during high school. Maybe it was because it was Feng. After showering and putting on his best dress shirt, he went out to help Paul hitch up the wagon only to find Kat and the rest of his family waiting for him.

"Did you remember to shave?" his mother asked him as he swung up into the front seat next to Paul.

"Yes, Ma. I even used some of Pa's deodorant-y stuff too, like you told me to." he groused, rubbing his clean-shaven face. "Don't know what the big fuss is about. It's not like she's never been around when I'm all smelly."

"You barbarian!" His father said as he covered his face and Maria swatted him with her folding fan, saying, "That's beside the point, boy."

John looked over at Paul for support but he was banging his forehead against his palm. "I always wondered why none of those girls who went moon brained for you in school would stick around. Now I know."

"A girl likes it when you make an effort." said Kat, amid a chorus of giggles from his three sisters in the back.

"I didn't ask the peanut gallery for an opinion!" snapped John.

"Right then," said Paul before an argument could begin, "Let's go pick up your lady love, shall we?"

Much to John's irritation, the four girls made swooning sounds as they drove off.

After the ceremony, everyone went to the reception held in Uncle Joseph's barn. Paul and Kat made a beeline for the buffet tables while the triplets disappeared like a bunch of ghosts. If they got themselves into trouble, the whole party would know about it so no one worried too much. That left John and Feng standing awkwardly in the open doorway of the barn.

"We gotta go say hello to Uncle Joe and _Gong gong _but the line's pretty long right now. You wanna get something to eat?" asked John.

Feng looked longingly at the couples swirling around like bits of blown wrapping paper at the back of the space. "Ya know how to dance, don't you Johnny?"

John blinked "'Course I can. Ma made sure we all knew. Ya wanna?"

Feng smiled shyly. "I'm not very good."

"That's alright. We all gotta start somewhere." John took her hand and led her through the tables set out for eating and into the sea of dancers.

It turned out that Feng was a better than she thought and they ended up dancing until the band took its break an hour later. They made their way to the table Paul and Kat had saved and collapsed into the chairs. John stole Paul's cup of punch and drained it while Paul smiled indulgently.

"Did you have fun, Feng?" Paul asked. "Looks like you just about danced Johnny to death."

Feng nodded, smiling wider than any of them had ever seen her smile. Seeing her so happy made John forget why he hadn't asked her out before. "My feet hurt."

"Ya hungry? I'm gonna get some food." John asked as he stood. "I'm starvin'."

Feng nodded. Kat looked beseechingly up at Paul.

"Sweetie, could you get me some more of those ribs?" she asked him. He looked at her and then at the pile of clean rib bones in front of her. He sighed and stood as well.

John and Paul made their way over to the line for the food tables. The line moved quickly and they could almost see the stacks of paper plates when they each felt a heavy hand land on their shoulder.

"Paul! John! Good to see you boys could make it!"

"_Nin hao_, Uncle Joe."

"We were going to go over and pay our respects but the ladies were famished."

Joseph Andolini was an imposing man. At six feet and three inches tall, he was the biggest man either of the Lang brothers had ever seen. When they were small, they had been intimidated by his size until he swung them up in his large arms and laughed his booming laugh. "_Mei guan xi_. I can hardly be insulted when you boys are acting like gentlemen. My_mei mei_ certainly raised you right."

"_Xie xie_, uncle." Paul said politely as he picked up a paper plate. John picked up two, shoving plastic forks and napkins in his pockets. "And congratulations on such a good match for Ping. She looks very happy."

"Well Ping always did have good taste. She did right by her family. I am very proud." Joseph reached over and spooned a healthy portion of some sort of salad onto one of John's plates. "Make sure you try some of that ambrosia salad. Your Auntie Xue spent all afternoon on that. It'd break her heart if no one tried it."

"Of course we will." John added a heaping spoonful of the goopy salad to his plate.

"So where is my _mei mei_? She came by to give Ping her red envelope but I haven't seen her since."

"Last we saw, Ma was swinging it with Pa over by the bandstand." replied John.

Joseph scanned the dance floor for his sister, chuckling when he spotted her. "That's Marie alright. Always did like cuttin' a rug."

The sound of feminine giggling wafted over from the dining tables, catching John's ear. He glanced over to see Feng and Kat laughing about something. He grinned at the sight of the two of them. When Joseph saw what had caught his nephew's attention, he smiled widely like a shark.

"So Little Johnny, have you asked Feng to be your _niü peng you_ yet?"

John smiled sheepishly as he returned his attention to putting food on the plates he was carrying. "Yeah, finally went ahead and asked her. Figured her Ba would find out how things really are quick enough."

Joseph patted him on the back, a move that would've sent a lesser man sprawling but John barely rocked on his feet. "Damn straight. If her Ba gives either of you trouble, you send him to any of your uncles. We'll set him right in a jiffy. Feng's been like family since the two of you were barely outta nappies but her Ba, we don't want any part of, not even the more numerous members."

"_Xie xie_, Uncle Joe. Means a lot to know the family approves."

"Say, you are going to make it official, aren't you?" Joseph asked with a sly look in his eye. He was clearly fishing for gossip.

"Hope so." John blushed while Paul smirked having gone through the same thing when he'd started dating Kat. "Think I should let her get through college first though. Did I tell you she got into the Medicad?"

"Did she?" Joseph perked up upon hearing the news. "Well good for her. When does she start?"

"Dunno. She's going on about not having the money when I told her I'd help her out."

"Well you keep working on it. She'll come around." Joseph then turned his attention to Paul. "And how about you, boy? How's Kat? You two set a date yet?"

Paul nodded happily. "Yup, next month, the fifteenth."

"Not a lot of time there."

"Well, we're just really eager to get settled and Ma's all excited too."

"Course she is. You're her baby boy. Just remember that." He patted them both on the back once more before glancing over at a shadowed table in the far corner of the barn. "Now, you boys behave yourselves. I need to remind my brothers, no business allowed at family functions. And remember to give your respects to your grandfather."

When the boys made it back to their table, the girls were giggling madly as Feng handed a tube of something back to Kat.

"What's so funny?" asked Paul as he set another plate of ribs in front of his fiancé.

"Oh, nuthin'." She replied as she tore into the meat. "Just plottin'."

"Plotting to take over the 'verse?" asked John, juggling two plates piled high and two cups. Feng turned and took the plates, allowing him to set down the cups. "Should we be worried?"

Feng and Kat were saved from answering by the Lang brother's three sisters running up to them, all talking over each other excitedly. At twelve years old and nearly identical in appearance, they were quite the handful. Annie Mei was the oldest by five minutes and the ringleader. If the three of them got into trouble, she was usually the one who had come up with the terrible idea. Their mother refused to tell Annie Ju and Annie Lan which was older, citing exhaustion and blurry vision. It was probably just as well, all three girls seemed to share a brain but it was the two younger ones who seemed to be the most in tune with each other.

"Whoa, slow down there Annie. What's all the fuss about?" asked Paul. More excited babble spewed forth. "Mei, why don't you go first?"

"Uncle Reeb's starting up a shooting contest out back." She stated as though issuing a challenge by proxy.

"We told Uncle Anton and Uncle Joseph that our_ ge ge_ would win." said Ju.

"Cousin Richie doesn't believe that Johnny can shoot better than he can." added Lan before passing the story back to Mei.

"So he said he'd bet his LeMat if either of you entered."

John scoffed. "He's all talk and no walk. Competin' against him would be like beatin' a rug. Now Feng here, she can shoot straighter than any of us any day."

"Oh, is that so?" The group turned to see a wiry young man around Paul's age slide up to their table. He had his hair slicked back and his shirt was unbuttoned enough that his sparse chest hair was visible. In an effort to appear older, he was attempting to grow a mustache but it only made him look sleazier. "I'd like to see that."

"Richie, Annie says you're gonna bet your LeMat if one of us enters." said Paul.

"Damn straight." Richie pulled a revolver out of the holster on his hip and set it on the table with a loud thunk. It lay on the worn wood, shining dully in the warm lamp light of the barn. "This here's an antique. Man I bought her from says she's from a war back on Earth-that-was. Didn't fire then but I had some work done, takes a standard .38 round now and the second barrel there? Well, that'll give ya a bit of an advantage in a tussle. She's a real sweet piece." He looked at Feng, sizing her up. "Ya know what? I've changed my mind. I'll put my gun up if it's your girl that's shootin'."

John and Feng shared a devious look that Richie missed. "Alright." she said, standing.

Richie smirked. "Y'all sure 'bout this? What are you gonna bet?"

"Next week's paycheck." said John, confidently. It wasn't nearly as much as the LeMat was worth but it was an acceptable bet.

"You're on."

The group all moved out to the side of the barn to where the older men were gathered, setting up targets and drawing lines in the dirt.

"Hey Uncle Reeb!" shouted Richie "Johnny's girl thinks she can shoot better than any of us."

"Does she now?" A short, balding man with a thick handlebar mustache turned to greet his approaching nephews and nieces with a smile. He looked Feng up and down. "You sure about that, honey? You look like a stiff wind would blow you over, never mind the rifle we're using tonight."

She nodded, pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. "I'm sure."

"Well alrighty then." Reeb gestured for her to join the other six competitors and proceeded to explain the rules. Each person would use the same rifle and ammunition. They were to take turns standing at the line marked out in the dirt and aim at a target someone had set up a hundred yards away. After each turn, the targets would be retrieved and the points totaled. The person with the highest score would win while any ties would be decided by an additional round. Since Feng was the only girl competing, the men all magnanimously allowed her to shoot first. As she took the rifle and fired a few test shots, John leaned back against the barn next to Kat and Paul. Their sisters had disappeared once again.

"Think ya shoulda told Richie how Feng feeds her family in the winter?" whispered Kat.

John shook his head, grinning madly. "Why ruin her fun? 'Sides, the little ferret deserves to be knocked down a few. Might do him some good."

By this time, the wedding party as well as most of the guests had gathered to watch the match. Out of the corner of his eye, Paul saw his sisters taking bets over who would win. He shook his head with amusement and turned back to where Feng was stepping up to the line. She entered her stance with a natural ease, bringing the rifle smoothly up against her shoulder. She inhaled and sighted carefully down the barrel, exhaling as she pulled the trigger. The center of her target exploded. Then it was Richie's turn. In comparison, Richie's movements seemed stilted and jerky as his shots hit rings further from the center than he expected.

One by one, the other men took their turns but it was plain that none of them had done as well as Feng. When the targets were retrieved and the points totaled, Richie could hardly believe his ears when Reeb announced that he had come in second to Feng.

"You mark my words, girl, I'll be getting that back." He growled as he drew the LeMat and thrust it butt first towards the younger girl's face. She took the gun, weighing it in her hand. She flipped the half loaded cylinder open and wrinkled her nose at the powder residue. She wiped it off as best she could with a fold of her skirt before flicking the cylinder closed and taking aim at a cup someone had left on a fence post twenty feet away. Her finger caressed the trigger and the cup went flying. She said nothing as Richie stomped off through the crowd.

The rest of the competitors came by to shake hands and offer congratulations. Feng smiled and ducked her head, unused to being the center of attention. When John placed a reassuring arm around her shoulders, she leaned into his side gratefully.

Just then the crowd parted respectfully to allow a silver haired man walk up to John. He had once been as tall as Joseph but age had bowed his shoulders and back. Once imposing, time and illness had stripped his frame of its strength but his only concession to weakness was an elegant silver topped cane. This was John's grandfather, the head of his family.

"Is this the girl who has stolen our Johnny's heart?" he asked, looking Feng over appraisingly. Though his body had aged, his gaze and manner were as strong and intimidating as ever. She felt like a bug under a microscope. "_Hai zi_,are you not going to introduce your _niü peng you_?"

"_Gong gong_." John could feel himself blushing. "This is Vera Feng."

"That was some mighty fine shooting there, Feng _xiao jie_. Best I've seen in many years." He extended his hand. "I am Wu Andolini, at your service."

"I'm honored." she replied, taking his hand.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, _xiao jie_." He kissed the back of her hand in the manner of a chivalrous knight from Earth-that-was. "Johnny here, talks about you all the time, all good things of course but it is lovely to finally be able to put a face with the name. And what a lovely face it is."

Feng blushed, pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"And so respectful too, I'm sure your parents are very proud." Grandfather Andolini tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her back towards the entrance of the barn. "Now tell me, Feng, who taught you how to shoot?"

* * *

When they pulled up in front of Feng's house to drop her off, John got out with her to walk her to the door, telling his parents he'd get home on his own. He waited until the wagon rounded the bend before speaking.

"So, how's it feel? Best marksman on the planet!"

"Feels good." Feng smiled, fingering the grip of the large pistol she had won. "Think yer cousin's gonna stay mad?"

"For a little while maybe. But he should get over it." John's face turned serious. "Listen Feng, I need to talk to ya."

"Is this about school again? 'Cause I already told ya-"

"Just listen." he interrupted. "I know you don't want me to help you out but you gotta go. You're smarter than anybody on this rock and meant for better. Your chance is right in front of you. My own grandfather even said he'd pay your tuition. Why can't you just take it?"

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Aw, _bu yong ku_, ya got nothin' to cry about." He reached out and pulled her against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. He was struck by how well she fitted against him.

"I want to Johnny. I want to so bad but I'm scared."

"What are you scared for? Your dad givin' you trouble?"

She nodded reluctantly. "He said he'd disown me if I left. That don't really matter to me but who's gonna take care a' the kids if I'm not there?" She swiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "And ain't no one gonna want me if I don't got a dowry. Not that I got much a one anyway."

John gripped her shoulders and stooped down to look her in the eye. "You listen to me, Feng. You've been loyal enough for two sons, taking care of your family the way you have. Goin' to school and working and lookin' after five kids ain't something everybody woulda done. Hell, I probably would've cut and run a long time ago. You're the best girl I know and if your Ba isn't gonna take care of you, I sure as hell will. So you go in there and tell your dad you're going to college whether he likes it or not. It's 'bout time for your brothers to step up anyhow."

Feng stared up at him with wide eyes, surprised by his vehemence. She'd known John since primary school and while he'd defended her from bullies when he could, he'd never talked to her like this, like he really saw her as a person and not just a walking brain. Well maybe that was being a little unfair. She'd had a crush on her handsome best friend for the longest time but instead of saying anything, she'd kept her mouth shut, not wanting to get in his way. She hadn't felt that she could compete with all the pretty, popular girls that had caught his eye. After tonight, well, she felt like she would float away into the Black if he let go of her.

"Al-alright." She said, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "If you really mean it, I'll go."

"You'll take my grandfather's offer?"

"Yes."

He felt like his face was going to split in two from grinning when he heard her agree. Letting out a whoop, he picked her up and spun her around. Feng laughed joyously, reveling in the weightless feeling. When John stopped spinning, he found that her face was just inches from his. Seizing the moment, he leaned down and captured her lips. It was the best kiss he'd ever had for all it was the most chaste. No twining of tongues or mingling of tastes, just her softness against his. Her delicate scent, clean linen and lemon soap, tickled his nose where it was pressed against the lenses of her glasses. She blinked in surprise, letting out a small squeak before pulling back. He set her back on her feet.

"Did I go too fast?" John asked, licking his lips nervously. The taste of her lingered, a natural sweetness mixed with something fruity.

Feng shook her head and looked up at him through her long eyelashes. She had never kissed a boy before, not having had the time or the looks to catch their attention for more than homework help.

"Would you kiss me again?" she asked shyly. He grinned and leaned in but glared at her when she pulled her head away. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she took her glasses off and tucked them in the pocket of her skirt.

The kiss was deeper this time, full of relief and youthful longing. The feel of his lips sliding across hers was like nothing she'd ever felt before. _This is what silk must feel like,_ she thought to herself. She made a funny noise in the back of her throat, unsure what to do next. Unlike his friend, John had plenty of experience and he coaxed her into nervously kissing him back. But for all its awkwardness, Feng thought it was perfect because it was Johnny she was locking lips with.

When they parted, John opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, he was cut off by Feng's father loudly spewing obscenities at them from the porch. John frowned at the bathrobe-clad man leaning heavily on the front door frame.

"You gonna tell him?"

She nodded and pulled reluctantly out of his arms. "Yeah, tonight even."

"Like a band-aid, huh?" He rubbed her shoulders soothingly. "You want me to go with ya?"

"No, I think this is somethin' I should do on my own."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

John let her go reluctantly, watching her run into the house. Her father glared at him before slamming the door shut between them. John stood at the end of the walk, staring up at the run down little house, listening to the muffled shouting that filtered out of the open windows.

Translations:  
Lang – wolf  
Feng – phoenixZeta – the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet  
_Pi gu_ - ass  
_Deng yi xia_ - wait a minute  
_Ting hao de_ – pretty good  
Ba – ba ba – father  
_a yi _– aunt  
_xian sheng_ – Mr. (Titles are placed after the name, ex. Smith _xian sheng_)  
_Mei guan xi_ – (that) doesn't matter  
_Gong gong_ –grandfather  
_Nin hao_ – Hello (Note that _nin_ is the formal version of 'you', similar to the formal second person form 'usted' found in Spanish. It is used when addressing someone much older than the speaker or a person to whom the speaker wants to show their respect.)  
_Mei mei_ – little sister  
_Xie xie_ – thank you  
_Niü peng you_ - girlfriend  
_Gou shi_ – (dog) shit  
_Ge ge_ – older brother  
_Hai zi_ - child  
_Xiao jie_ – Miss (Titles are placed after the name, ex. Smith _xiao jie_)  
_bu yong ku_ – (you) don't need to cry

Fun Facts:  
Spiedie AKA Speedy  
Spiedie is a type of sandwich, though it also refers to a type of meat marinade. Usually attributed to Augustine Iacovelli of Abruzzi, Italy, spiedie was introduced to the United States in the early twentieth century by Italian immigrants. The sauce originally consisted of wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic and mint. The meat was cooked on wooden skewers over an open flame or barbequed on a grill. Originally, lamb was the only meat used though chicken is now quite popular. After the meat is cooked, it can be eaten alone or used in a sandwich. Spiedie quickly gained almost cult-like popularity in the tri-cities and rural areas of New York at the time of its introduction. Surprisingly, it has not experienced a similar spread to the rest of the US. The most common way people come into contact with spiedie chicken is either through tourism or by word of mouth, usually from an IBM employee or other transplant from the tri-cities area. Visit my livejournal and click on "Recipe Book" for my family's spiedie marinade recipe. My lj user name is silentpheonix.

...space ship with a crazy super computer named Hal - Feng is of course, reading 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Andolini – The Godfather, Vito Corleone, changed his last name from Andolini to that of his birthplace in Italy upon his immigration to America.

"_She came by to give Ping her red envelope but I haven't seen her since."_ – You may be aware of the tradition of giving red envelopes of money to single people during the New Year Festival, this is somewhat similar. In lieu of a gift, Chinese and many other Asian cultures present newlyweds with money tucked in red envelopes, red being the lucky color.

Filial Piety  
_"You've been loyal enough for two sons, taking care of your family the way you have."  
_On very general terms, filial piety is respect for one's parents and elders. However, the traditional definition also includes care for parents in life and after their deaths through ritual sacrifice, the assurance of male heirs and loyalty to the family. Depending on the school of thought, family loyalty may involve pointing out or correcting mistakes made by the parents but it can also mean keeping one's mouth shut. Many of those duties traditionally fell to the oldest son. Filial piety was formally defined by Confucianism in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE and was taught through the use of a large number of parables. One of the most well known in Western countries today is the story of Hua Mulan, having been popularized by the Disney movie.

Confucianism was used to form the basis for the Chinese government during the establishment of the Han dynasty in the third century BCE. The system remained in place with little modification until the Qing dynasty was overthrown in the twentieth century CE. As a result, filial piety was firmly entrenched in Chinese culture and continues to exert influence today despite the absence of imperial rule. In this chapter, Feng is having difficulty reconciling her desire to go to college and her duty as the oldest child to care for her family.


	6. Chapter 5: Part I

**Warning**: Domestic violence, violence against women, death of a minor character.

This may get confusing as Jayne is referred to by another name. Just remember that Jayne is the main character and his name still starts with a "J" and you should be fine

* * *

**TICKETS FOR THE EIGHT O'CLOCK TRAIN - PART I**

Surprisingly, the summer passed quickly for Feng after she told her father she was continuing her education. As she predicted, her father threw her out of the house. She came home from the Saloon one day to find a box containing her belongings on the front porch and all the locks changed. John's Aunt Zeta was kind enough to let her live in one of the small apartments above the Gunpowder Rose Saloon office at half the usual rent until she left for Medicad in the fall.

Qingdao Medical Academy was located in New Xi'an, the planet's capitol. The capitol was more than a hundred miles from her home town, Winthrop, and she had never even been close to that far from home. Feng had at first found the capitol noisy and very nearly overwhelming. But John's grandfather had made good on his offer, paying not only her tuition, and also setting her up with another cousin of John's who was also attending the Medicad. Ling was two years ahead of Feng and took her grandfather's request that she look after her cousin's girlfriend seriously although she interpreted it in a much different manner than in which it was meant. Within a month of arriving in New Xi'an, Feng knew where to find all the take-out delis and bars, the best places to hail a cab and all the best nightlife, not that she would leave off her studying unless Ling dragged her out.

Feng stayed in contact with John through letters, often writing pages about her experiences in the capitol city. John's letters weren't nearly as long, writing not being his strong suit. Though he read every word she sent him and was as supportive and encouraging as he could be in his replies, letters were a pale substitute for the girl.

Winter brought about the end of Feng's first semester. The last day of exams had been tough, her biology professor had decided to test them on the sneakiest of details and Feng's brain felt like it was about to explode. She returned to the apartment she shared with Ling in the early afternoon, looking forward to the upcoming holidays. As she hung her heavy winter coat on a hook in the entry way, she heard a familiar voice conversing with her roommate. Forgetting to remove her boots, she rushed into the kitchen to see John leaning against the counter.

"Johnny!"

His name had barely left her lips before she was lifted off her feet and crushed in a giant bear hug. Feng didn't fully realize how much she missed being in his arms until he was holding her again. "What are ya doin' here?"

"Thought I'd come surprise ya." He set her down but his hands stayed around her waist.

"How long are you here for?" she asked.

"I got two tickets for the eight 'o clock train tomorrow mornin'." He answered with a grin.

"Two?"

"Yeah, ma wanted to make sure you had some place to stay for your break." He glanced away. "But if ya got plans already, then ya don't have to."

Feng reached up and touched his cheek. "I'd love to stay with your family."

"Then that's settled. How's the city been treating ya?" He looked her up and down, taking in her rosy complexion and new clothes. "You look good. Are those really jeans you're wearin'?"

Feng glared at Ling. "Yer cousin made me get them, I swear!"

"Well you wouldn't let me shorten your skirts and it should be a crime to hide those legs of yours," she replied with a smug smile on her lips. Feng might've been oblivious but Ling saw the way more than one boy's eyes had lingered. "Now why don't you get cleaned up and take Johnny boy out to see the sights?"

Feng tilted her head back to look at him. "Wanna?"

He shrugged. "Sure. But I gotta stop by and say hello to _gong gong_. Ma said he wasn't feelin' too hot."

Feng nodded. "I was gonna go drop a package off for him this weekend but we can go now. Just let me put my books away."

After stopping in her room to drop off her books, they set out hand in hand into the snow covered streets of New Xi'an.

* * *

The Andolinis had been one of the first settlers to make their home on Qingdao. They had married into a good Chinese family. They had been brewers by trade, back on Earth-that-was and after the mass exodus, established one of the first breweries in the fledgling Alliance. Since the day the first glass of Qingdao beer was poured, the business had passed smoothly from the capable hands of father to son.

Wu Andolini was the proud bearer of this legacy, he had learned the trade at his father's side from the time he was a small boy. But when his father died and he became head of the company at the unusually young age of thirty-four, many were afraid that he would not have the skills or experience necessary to run the business. Wu proved them wrong, coming to be known as a stern, capable leader but also a kind and generous man, frequently seen at charity functions and benefits around the planet. Although he made the occasional appearance in the Core, he preferred to focus his attentions on his homeworld.

By Alliance classification, Qingdao was labeled a Border world but its actual location made it an odd mixture of Core civilization in the urban areas and Rim world lawlessness out in the jerkwaters. The inhabitants quickly learned to look to those strongest and best able to enforce order to keep the peace. Major companies like the brewery were frequently forced to fill the void left by an inadequate Alliance presence. As a result, men like Wu Andolini wielded great power and influence over the populace with equally powerful and influential enemies.

Now, more than thirty years after he assumed control of the family business, Wu was stepping down and the question became, who he would hand the company to. If he did not name a son to take the reins, one of the other board members would assume leadership. The entire industry waited with baited breath for Wu's decision.

* * *

When Feng and John arrived at the apartment building owned by the Andolini family, one of the two men standing guard recognized Feng and waved them into an elaborately decorated lobby where another guard sat behind a tall imposing desk.

"Didn't think I'd see you until Saturday, Feng _xiao jie_." The man remarked as they entered. "You packin'?"

"'Course I am." She smiled, handing over the LeMat she had kept in her satchel. The man went bug eyed when he saw the gun but Feng didn't seem to notice. "I'm going to spend the holidays with Johnny. We're takin' the train back to Winthrop tomorrow so I won't be here. We thought we'd come visit Grandfather before we left."

"Well, he'll be happy to see you as always. Even more since you brought one of his grandkids along." The watchman took the gun with more than a little envy in his eye, though he had to have seen it before and stowed it in a drawer behind the desk. "What about you, John? Got any weapons on ya?"

John wordlessly handed over his hunting knife. The watchman put it in the drawer with the LeMat, locked the drawer and handed him the key. Feng chatted with the watchman while they waited for the elevator. When the elevator finally arrived, John hustled her into the car.

"What's the hurry?" she asked as the doors closed.

"I don't like the way he was lookin' at you." John replied tightly. "He's got at least twenty years on ya."

Feng blinked up at him owlishly. "He's also happily married."

"I just worry about ya. City's a big place. I don't want anything happenin' ta you is all." He cupped her cheek, drawing her close for a kiss.

"Your grandfather has men watching every move I make. I'm fine." She smiled and leaned up to steal another kiss. "He probably knew you were comin' ta visit the moment ya got yer train tickets."

"How d'ya know that?"

"Ya gotta get up a lot earlier ta pull one over on 'ole Vera." She grinned cheekily as the doors opened and she exited the elevator.

The moment they stepped into the marble tiled foyer, they were greeted by Judah Chang, a tall, sandy haired man who had worked for the Andolini family for as long as John could remember.

Chang had started out in the brewery's administrative offices at the age of ten doing odd jobs for the workers there. Within months, he had become a secretary favorite with a reputation as the most reliable and capable messenger boy in the city. When Chang was thirteen, he came to the attention of Wu Andolini whose father was just beginning to transfer leadership of the company to his son. Wu took the younger boy under his wing and made him his personal assistant. Officially, Chang was listed on the family employee roster as a butler but in reality his role was much more involved than that of a mere house servant.

"Lang_xian sheng_, Feng _xiao jie_, it is a pleasure to see you again." Chang greeted them formally. "If you would follow me into the sitting room, Andolini _xian sheng _will be with you shortly."

John and Feng followed him into a sitting room. It was elegantly decorated with wood paneled walls and hand carved furniture. John had been there several times for holidays and family events when he was younger but he hadn't visited recently. Looking around, he saw that very little had changed. The delicate wall scrolls had been switched out and a rug had been replaced but otherwise the room had remained the same. Two of John's cousins looked up when he and Feng entered the room. Chang melted gracefully into the background with a promise of tea.

Richie and his younger sister Wen rose to greet their cousin. Richie settled for an appropriately manly handshake but Wen was much less subdued.

"Johnny boy!" she exclaimed happily, squeezing him around the middle. "It's been so long since I've seen you!"

"You saw me at Paul's wedding." John protested, grimacing slightly at the strength of her hug. "And Ping's wedding the month before that."

"But that was ages ago! How come you never come down to the city anymore?"

He shrugged. "Got work to do at the shop. Someone's got to fix all the stuff you city slickers break when you come visiting."

"Ain't that the truth!" She grinned and turned to greet Feng.

The three of them sat down, John and Feng on the settee while Richie and Wen took the armchairs across from them. A servant entered with a tray and they were distracted with the business of pouring tea and passing around the fresh _tang san jiao_. The sugary snacks were enough to keep John's mouth full while Feng and Wen chatted about girl stuff. Richie attempted to make conversation with John but gave up after several unintelligible answers and settled for staring into the fireplace instead.

The buns were nearly gone when Chang reappeared, followed by Anton. He glared at his son before disappearing quickly out the door to the foyer, completely disregarding the other occupants in the room. Ignoring Anton's behavior, Chang moved to stand in front of the low coffee table.

"He is ready to see you now."

Like the sitting room, Wu Andolini's office was elaborately decorated with exotic woods and carved furniture. Despite the massive antique desk dominating the room, Andolini was slouched in an arm chair in front of the fire but sat up when his visitors entered.

"Ah, John, it is so kind of you to visit."

"Least I could do, _gong gong_."

John and Feng crossed the room to hug the old man who was considerably more frail than he had been over the summer.

"Feng_xiao jie_,I'm afraid I am not feeling very well today. Our chess game will have to wait."

"_Mei guan xi_." She replied, setting a parcel wrapped in white paper on the coffee table before kneeling next to the chair. "We'll keep our visit short. I just came to tell you that I'm going to stay with Johnny's family for the holidays so I won't be able to come on Sunday."

"Wonderful, wonderful." Andolini smiled at John approvingly. "I hope you enjoy your stay. When you return you must tell me your scores at Medicad. You will receive your final grades before the new calendar year, correct?"

Feng nodded, sure that copies would also be sent to him. "Yes. I'll let you know right away."

"Excellent." He patted her hand fondly. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to speak to John alone."

"Of course. I hope you will feel better soon, _gong gong_." She rose and kissed the old man's cheek before slipping quietly out of the room.

When his grandfather didn't begin speaking right away, John sat down in the armchair opposite and waited patiently. After a few minutes, his mind began to drift. Feng had promised to take him to one of her favorite spots after their visit, a tiny little café not far from the University, but John was trying to think of a way to convince her to let him take her somewhere fancier, perhaps one of the restaurants his family had gone to on special occasions when he was younger.

"I plan to step down from leadership of the company within the next year." John jumped a little when his grandfather's voice broke into his thoughts. "I had thought that Anton would be a suitable replacement. I am no longer so sure that this would be a wise decision in light of your uncle's inability to control your cousin.

"You realize, John that this family's reputation is of utmost importance to our company's continued profitability?"

John nodded, unsure where his grandfather was going.

"While Reeb tells me that you are extremely good at what you do, I consider it a waste for you to continue working at the machine shop in Winthrop. Too much control has passed out of our hands. In order for the transfer of the company to go smoothly, I will need the entire family to support my decision. I need as many of my grandchildren as possible here in the capitol. If it were to appear otherwise, certain organizations would think us weak and that would be very bad for business. To that end, I would like you to move here to Xi'an after the winter holidays and begin working with Chang."

John could only blink. While he had known that his parents and relatives thought that the family was losing control of the company, he hadn't expected to be asked to take a more active role in the business. He didn't think he had the brains for it. But moving to the capitol would mean he would be closer to Feng and he couldn't help but see that as a good thing.

"You may of course refuse my request." Andolini continued, though something in his voice sounded vaguely threatening. "But I ask that you give it some consideration. Perhaps talk it over with your mother. I know that she finds certain aspects of the family business… distasteful."

John shook his head. "No sir. I know my mother would disapprove but I think she would agree that it would be best for me to move here."

"Excellent." The older man smiled, "I am glad that you understand my reasoning for this."

Andolini picked up his cane and moved to stand. John jumped up to assist him but was waved off. "_Wo mei ne me lao_. I'm not so old that I can't walk you to the door. I would like to be there when you tell Feng the good news. I'm sure she'll be delighted."

"Thank you, _gong gong_." John offered his arm to his grandfather. They exited the office together, John with a smile on his face that promptly disappeared when they saw the scene playing out in the sitting room.

Wen was on her feet in front of the arm chair she had been sitting in, hand over her mouth, eyes wide with shock. Richie had Feng pinned by the neck against the wall next to the fireplace, yelling at her loudly. Feng cringed as his spittle hit her face and tried futilely to push him away. Seeing red, John crossed the room in four long strides and punched his cousin in the jaw. Richie crumpled to the floor, moaning in pain.

Feng looked down at the young man with a cold expression. "Mayhap, if ya got rid of yer overinflated ego, yer luck would get better."

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Andolini.

Feng's head whipped around so quickly that her long braid narrowly missed knocking a vase off the mantelpiece. Her mouth dropped open and her face drained of color but Wen broke in before she could say anything.

"Just Richie being a disgrace again." She said, looking at her brother with disgust. "He's trying to blame Feng for all the bad things that have been happening to him since Ping's wedding."

"Thank you, Wenceslas. I can take care of things from here if you could fetch your father for me?"

Wen blushed slightly at the use of her full name but nodded and walked off towards the foyer, leaving her brother curled up whimpering on the floor. Once she was gone, Andolini walked over and prodded Richie with his cane.

"I am sorely disappointed in you, boy. You are an embarrassment to your family and the business." His voice was like ice. He gestured to Chang who strode over and reached down to fix a merciless grip on Richie's ear, using it to pull the whimpering young man to his feet. Wordlessly, he pushed Richie into the office. Once the door shut behind them, Andolini turned to Feng who hadn't moved since she'd turned around.

"I apologize for my grandson's atrocious behavior, my dear." he apologized, gently. "I do hope you suffered no lasting harm."

Feng shook her head.

He studied her for a moment, as though he didn't quite believe her. "There is a powder room down the hall if you require it."

"I'm fine." She said as she straightened her clothes, deftly wrapping her scarf around her neck to hide the rapidly forming bruises. John wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders while glaring daggers at the office door.

"Very well, enjoy your holiday and do let Johnny take you somewhere nice. I know he's dying to do so."

John looked down at the top of her head. "Vera?"

"A-alright." She agreed, still a little shell shocked.

"Excellent, I'll have a car brought around for you."

Neither spoke during the elevator ride down to the lobby and wordlessly retrieved their weapons from the desk clerk. Feng jammed her gun into her coat pocket instead of returning it to her bag. The grip stuck out but she didn't seem to notice. Neither spoke a word while they waited for the car.

It wasn't until they were in the hover car and pulling away from the apartment building that Feng let out a string of foul language such that John had never heard her use before.

"What happened, Vera?" he asked after he got over the shock of hearing her swear. He pulled her across his lap and held her tightly.

"It's like Wen said." She began shakily. "After I left the office, she and I were talkin' and Richie asked me if I still had the LeMat. When I said yes, he started goin' off 'bout how everythin' bad happenin' to him since then was all my fault and how he was gonna get the gun back even if he had ta kill me. I was gonna walk outta there but he grabbed me and started chokin' me. I didn't know what else to do!"

"It's alright." soothed John. At his words, Feng let go of the tears she had been holding back. Not sure how to react to the crying girl in his arms, he rubbed her shoulders awkwardly and grimaced when she buried her face against his neck. "You did good."

She sniffed wetly into his collar. "I'm sorry."

"Ya got nuthin' to be sorry for, didn't like this shirt much anyhow." He dug in his pocket for a handkerchief and offered it to her. "Now, wipe yer nose off and do whatever it is you girls do to prettify yourselves."

Feng accepted it with a small hiccup and began drying her eyes. "What did your grandfather want to talk to you about?"

John grinned widely. "He asked me to move to the City after the New Year festival."

Feng's mouth dropped open. She sat back, stunned before knocking him back into the seat with the force of her hug.

"That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, he wants me to work with Chang." John replied as soon as he got his breath back.

"Do you know where you'll be staying?" she asked.

"The family apartments probably but at least we can see each other whenever we want. And, hey, I can pick ya up after school."

The rest of the ride passed more quickly now that they were discussing their plans for the future. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, Feng seemed to have gotten over the incident with Richie.

* * *

**Translations:**  
_Xian sheng_ – master, Mr. (Titles are placed after the name, ex. Smith xian sheng)  
_Xiao jie_ – Miss (title)  
_Tang san jiao_ – The direct translation is 'sugar triangle'. It's basically a steamed bun in the shape of a triangle filled with brown sugar.  
_Gong gong_ – Grandfather  
_Mei guan xi_ – it's alright  
_Wo mei ne me lao._ – I'm not that old

**Fun facts:**  
Xi'an – also known as Chang'an, the ancient capitol of several Chinese dynasties until it was moved to Beijing at the start of the Qing dynasty in 1644 CE. The city includes several palaces and was surrounded by a wall fifteen to eighteen meters thick, the majority of which is still standing. While Xi'an had long been a center for trade and commerce, the city came into a golden age as the starting point of the Silk Road, flourishing at a time when Europe was in the midst of the Dark Ages. The outskirts of modern day Xi'an are also the site of the famous Terracotta Warriors, an entire army of 8,099 life-size warriors and horses constructed out of terracotta clay to protect the tomb of Qin Shi Huang di, the first emperor of China and founder of the Han dynasty. Today, the city is one of the largest industrial centers in western China and is an amazing place to visit.


	7. Chapter 5: Part II

**CHAPTER FIVE: TICKETS FOR THE EIGHT O'CLOCK TRAIN - PART II**

"You're what?!"

John's mother dropped her chopsticks with a clatter, almost losing her rice bowl as well. The rest of the family, plus Feng, stared down the table at Maria.

"Moving to the capitol after the festivals." replied John. He spoke slowly, as though he was speaking to a small child rather than his mother. Feng looked down at the table, her rice, the platter of stir fried sweet peas between her and Annie Ju, anywhere but the end of the table where Maria sat.

"Watch your tone, boy." His father warned.

"No." Maria said firmly.

"What do ya mean no?" asked John. "_Gong gong_ asked me to."

"Your grandfather asked…" Maria set her rice down with a loud thud. "Do you know what your father and I have gone through to keep you children away from all the trouble that man is going to bring down on our heads when he dies? Because that's all you're going to get if you go Johnny, a big steaming pile of _gou shi_."

She picked up her chopsticks again and stabbed them through the air in John's direction. "You're not going, young man. Keep working at the shop if you want to but you're staying here in Winthrop and that's final."

John looked beseechingly down the other end of the table to his father who simply shook his head. "Your mother's got this one right, son."

"And what kind a trouble are you talkin' about anyway?" demanded John. "You always say the city's trouble but Vera went-"

"You leave Feng out of this." Maria snapped. Feng slid further down into her chair as though she wanted to disappear. "I didn't say anything to her because they won't touch girls as a rule and she's seen enough ugliness in this 'verse to steer clear of it when she sees it. Your grandfather's business may be legitimate but he's still no better than a gangster, the way he treats people."

"What do you mean?" John asked. He had put down his own bowl and chopsticks and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean by gangster? _Gong gong_ ain't a street thug."

Maria stood abruptly and looked down the table at her husband. "Stacey, I think you'd better have a talk with your son."

John's father sighed as his wife left the room. He looked at his youngest son slouching in his chair, staring sullenly at his bowl.

"Boys," he said, glancing over at Paul. "Best be gettin' up early tomorrow. Deer ain't gonna come to us."

* * *

The sun was just starting to rise when John woke to the sound of his mother knocking on his bedroom door, the smell of breakfast wafting up the stairs. Taking care to step softly because his sisters would throw a fit if he woke them up, he went downstairs to the kitchen. He sat down at the table opposite his father, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His mother slid a bowl of _xi fan_ across the table to him.

Paul arrived just as John finished his porridge. The three men loaded up and headed out into the misty morning. They tramped through the frost covered field that lay behind the house until they came to the forest. As they walked through the trees, their father motioned for Paul to take the lead, waiting for him to move out of earshot to speak.

"You're near enough to a grown man now." His father said, gruffly, keeping his eyes sharp for deer sign. "Your ma and I don't have no call to tell you what to do with your life but if you go to Xi'an, you're on your own, son."

"I know dad."

"We won't be able to help you out of a jam like we can out here and that's what your ma's afraid of. Old Andolini's nice enough but some of his friends ain't so shiny."

"I'll be careful, I promise. _Gong gong_ just wants us close is all, doubt he'll let me get any where near anything interesting anyway."

"Well good, see that you keep it so."

"Yes, _ba ba_."

* * *

The New Year Festival was in full swing a few weeks later. All the buildings lining the main street of Winthrop were decorated in red bunting while phrases wishing customers good luck and prosperity for the coming year plastered the doorways. Strings of red paper lanterns stretched from building to building while the taller ones had ribbons of firecrackers hanging from their roofs down to the snow covered street below.

John and Feng walked through the crowded streets hand in hand on their way to the Gunpowder Rose. His mother had told him to get something for his sisters to make up for the abysmal Christmas gifts he'd given them and Feng had taken it upon herself to help him. They finally decided on some fancy shoes Feng had convinced John would be appropriate gifts when she heard someone call out to her.

"_Jie jie_!"

Feng whirled around to see her youngest brother Andrew run up and throw his arms around her.

"Andy? What are ya doing? Where's dad?" she exclaimed, hugging him anyway. "Do ya wanna get in ta trouble?"

"_Ba ba_'s home. He ain't gonna see me. Are ya gonna come and visit?" The twelve year old bounced up and down excitedly. "John, _ni hao ma_?"

"I'm alright little man. _Xin nian kuai le_." John reached out and mussed Andrew's hair. Instead of being annoyed, the boy grinned happily. "Let's keep walkin' Feng. Andy can come with us to the Saloon. Zeta won't mind."

Feng sighed as they continued up the street. "Oh Andy, ya know I can't visit. _Ba_ would kick me out faster than ya could blink."

"But we miss you! Charlie's never around anymore since he started workin' in the fields after school and neither's Cam."

Feng narrowed her eyes. Her second oldest brother had always been a handful. "Why? What's Cam been up ta? He been gettin' himself inta trouble again?"

Andrew shook his head. "I dunno. He's just never around."

"And what about you, Andy? Been gettin' enough ta eat?" She looked him over with a critical eye. His clothes were a bit worn but he didn't look like he'd lost any weight.

"Charlie always makes sure we've got somethin' fer school and I try to make dinner fer him when he gets back at night. Don't always turn out so well, though." He said sadly.

Feng smiled fondly. "You'll get better, just takes some practice and I'm sure Charlie appreciates it all the same. I suppose I can try ta come around sometime when dad's not home. He still on Old Man Jenkins's payroll?"

"Yeah. He's always gone though. Maybe ya could come anyway." Andy suggested excitedly.

"We'll see. Now come on, let's go visit the fortune teller."

* * *

It was late afternoon a few days later when Vera knocked tentatively on the back door of her childhood home. After a minute, Andy threw to door open and threw himself against her in a bear hug.

"_Jie jie_! You came!"

"Is _ba ba_ here?" she asked as she squeezed him back.

He shook his head. "He's out. Probably be gone all night too."

"Well good. Cuz I'm gonna make y'all dinner tonight." She held up the bags of vegetables she'd brought with her and the pheasant she'd shot and dressed earlier that morning. "Wanna help?"

Vera set Andy to washing the vegetables while she fired up the old cast iron wood stove. As they worked, Andy chattered on about school and where his brothers were working and the snow fort they had built a few weeks ago. The familiar sounds and smells of cooking made the time fly and soon enough, the other boys began to return home.

"Hey hey! Somethin' smells good!" exclaimed Charlie as he closed the front door behind Cameron, Jeffry and David. "What ya cookin' Andy?"

"Ain't me _da ge_." Andy called as he scampered out to meet his oldest brother. "Look who's here!"

The two younger boys rushed over to hug their sister but Charlie and Cam stopped short in the kitchen doorway when they saw Vera, Charlie unsure if he should enter. When his only sister had left in the fall, they had exchanged some unkind words. But Vera surprised him and welcomed them with a smile.

"Andy told me he'd been tryin' ta do all the cookin' since I've been gone. Decided ta give yer poor old stomachs a break. It is New Year's after all."

"Almost thought you'd forgotten all 'bout yer little brothers." Said Charlie. Cam said nothing, crossing his arms sullenly.

"Not a chance. I kept thinkin' the world were gonna end when it were all quiet while I was studying." Vera laughed. She pointed to the cupboard and told Charlie to start setting the table. Cam began scooping food into serving dishes without a word but his silence had turned amiable.

Dinner was a lively affair. The boys enjoying the first good meal they'd had in months and Vera simply reveling in the feeling of having her family around her. They were just beginning the process of washing up when they heard the front door slam against the wall of the front entryway with a loud bang.

"Gorrammit!" There was a sound of shuffling foot steps heading towards the kitchen followed by slurred cursing. "Where da hell did dem rotten kids git ta?"

Everyone in the kitchen froze as their father stumbled in to the kitchen. He leaned heavily against the door way, squinting around the room.

"Waddaya wretches thin' yer doin'?" he demanded. "Ain't I told ya ta wait fer me ta get back?"

"We did save you some." Andy said in a small voice. He pointed at a covered platter on the counter.

"You little ingrate." He growled, advancing on his youngest son. "'s bad 'nough that I have ta work all day ta pay for ya lumps ta sit around on yer _pi gu_s all day, ya can't even wait fer me ta get home."

He reached out to smack the boy but Charlie darted between the two, the blow glancing off his jaw. What followed happened so fast that Vera would later have a hard time recalling the events at the sheriff station. Her father lunged at Charlie with a snarl but he stepped to the side, shoving the larger man from the back. Unable to stop his momentum, he continued forward, crashing through the kitchen window and out into the yard. The children rushed to the broken window, gasping at what they saw.

"Oh Buddha." breathed Vera as the younger boys flinched in horror. "Charlie, you stay in here. David, you call the sheriff."

She threw open the back door and ran outside. He had flipped over as he'd gone through the window, landing on the fence that protected their small vegetable garden. A metal stake had impaled him through the chest. When she reached her father's side, she saw that there was nothing she could do except turn and vomit into the winter melon patch.

* * *

Hours later, John walked out of the sheriff's office with a comforting arm around Vera, her brothers following obediently. His Uncle Reeb was waiting with a large van, having volunteered to drive the siblings home. They clambered in and took their seats with a minimum of fuss, too emotionally drained to squabble as they usually did.

Vera sat next to John in the middle bench, sitting up rigidly in her seat. "What do ya think'll happen Johnny? I can't just leave my brothers here on their own."

"I know what you're thinking, Vera." John said, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. "And don't you worry."

"You're practically family now, Miss Feng." said Reeb from the driver's seat. "We always take care of family, just like you do."

"Thanks." Vera said, wrapping her arms around John's neck. He pulled her close, enfolding her in his solid embrace. "It means so much to me. I don't know how we could ever repay you and your grandfather for all this."

"Well I'm sure we'll be able to find something for the rest of the boys to do down at the plantation." said Reeb.

"I don't want a pity job." Cam stated in a petulant voice from the backseat.

"Who said anything about pity?" asked the man who ran Qingdao Brewery's entire hops plantation. "We can always use extra hands on the farm, right Charlie?"

"Yes, sir." Charlie mumbled without lifting his head.

The rest of the ride was passed in sober silence. When they returned to the house, John went to close the shutters on the broken kitchen window while Vera sent her brothers to bed. When she was sure they were tucked up safe, she curled up on the shabby couch next to John's steadying presence. Unable to sleep, they talked for a while about the arrangements she would have to make for her father's body before she returned to New Xi'an. Eventually, she was able to fall into a fitful rest as the cold grey of dawn began to creep across the worn floorboards.

**Translations:**  
Gou shi – (dog) shit  
Xi fan – rice porridge  
Ba ba – father  
Bai hua le qien – Waste of money  
Jie jie – older sister  
Ni hao ma? – How are you?  
Xin nian kuai le – Happy New Year  
Hao ma? – alright?  
Da ge – big brother  
Pi gu - ass

**Fun Facts:**  
New Year Festival – Formally known as the Lunar New Year Festival. The celebrations begin before the actual date, usually in late January or early February. Traditionally, it is a time for people to go visiting, splurge on food and new clothing and just have a raucously great time. It's like all the American holidays rolled into the span of a few weeks. Everything is done up in red and gold and other flamboyant decorations. Lots of concerts, theatrical and dance performances are held, lion and dragon dances are the most well known. In Asian countries, there are also lots of fireworks displays, though I've never seen one in the US. One of my father's favorite childhood memories was the string of firecrackers they had every year, long enough to stretch from the top of their three story house down to the street.

Winter Melon - is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable. It's waxy outer shell allows it to be kept through the winter, hence the name.


End file.
